Refections on the Department of State

I found the visit to the Department of State to be a great look into the way the United States' interacts with other countries. The Department of State encourages diplomacy, which I think is the best way to deal with negotiations among countries. In a world in which countries engage in trade and other transactions with one another, keeping dialogue open between officials of countries can help maintain these beneficial relationships.

The State Department has also worked to initiate peace talks with the Middle East, which I think will be a step in the right direction in bettering the United States' relationship with the Middle East.

Getting a chance to talk with David Bame and hearing about his experiences working at the State Department and abroad gave me a first hand look into the world of foreign relations. Bame also brought up the term "smart power" and its increasing importance in international relations. Bame described it as the strategic combination of hard and soft power. It reminded me of something Machiavelli would talk about, a strategic combination of opposites, like his point that a ruler must be cunning like a fox and strong like a lion. It made me realize that maybe Machiavelli and his ideas aren't obsolete just yet.