Barb Van Andel-Gaby Chairman of Heritage Foundation - Economy | Official Website
WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation has published a new report titled “How the State Department’s Discriminatory DEI Programs Undermine U.S. Diplomacy and Betray American Values.” The report argues that the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda within the State Department is negatively impacting recruitment, efficiency, and morale.
Simon Hankinson, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, former Foreign Service Officer, and author of the report stated: “Ideologically driven bureaucrats at the State Department are severely undermining U.S. diplomacy by artificially engineering equal outcomes in hiring and personnel decisions through overriding objective criteria.”
Hankinson continued: “The world is on fire right now—as seen by the conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Yet, the State Department is wasting limited resources on an agenda that does not advance American interests and is not supported by data. My report lays out how the State Department can return to core American values and implement processes that prioritize merit-based principles. The American people deserve better.”
Key takeaways from the report include:
1. Myth One: The State Department lacks and resists racial and gender diversity. According to 2023 data, the department’s staff reflects American demographics and labor market realities.
2. Myth Two: “Structural Barriers” prevent minorities from entering the Foreign Service. The department either does not produce or publish adequate data on racial disparities regarding performance on the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). Such disparities are assumed without proof to be due to discrimination yet drive policy.
3. Myth Three: Promotions Are Biased Against Minorities and Women. There is no discernible disadvantage in promotions for female or non-white officers within the Foreign Service.
4. Myth Four: The State Department Has a “Hostile Climate” for Minorities. Statistics on promotion and internal complaints do not demonstrate bias against or a hostile climate for minorities at State.
5. Myth Five: Minorities Leave Because of a Hostile Climate. Despite years of inquiry, there is no reliable data explaining why individuals leave.
The report concludes that the United States needs a professional Foreign Service whose members are selected through objective, meritocratic criteria accountable to the President.
