The Two State Departments Are on Different Missions

There truly are two separate organizations, and the same holds true for almost every department and agency of the federal government.

The first State Department, and the most visible one is the State Department that is made up of political appointees. It changes from administration to administration and is subject to the political whims of whatever administration is in power.

The second State Department is the one that does all of the work. It is made up of career employees who are part of the civil service. They are there through all the changes in administrations and are the people who actually do the business of the State Department.

Presidents appoint Ambassadors to many countries. Those Ambassadors are the public face of the United States around the world. Typically, they are not experienced diplomats, especially in the largest, most important countries. The real work in embassies around the world is carried out by career diplomats. If Ambassadors are smart, they attend public functions in their formal wear and leave those career people alone to do their work. Not all Ambassadors are smart.

Presidents, too, normally don't mess with State Department civil service employees. Without them, the business of the State Department grinds to a halt, since they're the only ones who know their jobs in the State Department.

Sometimes, as with the Trump Administration, a President meddles in foreign affairs and tosses a large monkey wrench into the works. When that happens, the career State Department folks duck their heads, try to stay out of sight and hope it all passes soon. Meanwhile, they continue to do their work as always, as far as possible.

Pretty much all Federal agencies work the same way as the State Department. Smart political appointees don't try to mess with the actual work of those agencies and departments. Sadly, in some administrations, those appointees are not smart. That is true right now, under the Trump administration. More's the pity.