Striped Pants versus Fat Cats: Ambassadorial Performance of Career Diplomats and Political Appointees. Issue 4 (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Haglund, Evan T.
• Is Part Of: Presidential studies quarterly. Volume 45:Issue 4(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 653
• Page End: 678
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Executive power -- United States -- Periodicals; Presidents -- United States -- Periodicals; 320.473
• DOI: 10.1111/psq.12223
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-4918

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>The growing bureaucratic performance literature focuses on differences in programs or agencies led by either careerists or political appointees; yet this literature still struggles to measure and then compare performance across agencies. This article examines ambassadorial performance to provide new measures of individual‐ and organization‐level performance. Using a new data set of embassy inspection reports by the State Department's inspector general, I find that the traditional dichotomy of careerists versus appointees explains some performance differences even as some key individual‐level characteristics that are expected to affect performance are not influential. These findings have important implications for presidents and agencies in their approaches to leadership selection and performance evaluation.</p> </abstract>