How Much Does A U.S. Ambassadorship Cost?

Vogue editor Anna Wintour, expected by some to become Washington's top diplomat in London. REUTERS/GONZALO FUENTES

Dennis Jett, Reuters: What will a Clinton or Trump administration charge for an ambassadorship?

It is hard to predict what might happen once a new president takes office. For instance, could next January 20 usher in a new reality television show called Ambassador Apprentice? Those who aspire to run an embassy can describe how they would make America great again through huge foreign policy deals. Then a President Donald Trump could say whether the contestant got the job and where he or she would be Washington’s personal representative.

Sound farfetched? It isn’t. Since naming an ambassador is one of the few ways the most powerful person in the world can reward supporters, almost anything is possible. The only thing that is reasonably certain is that the selection process for ambassadors would likely be more predictable under a President Hillary Clinton – and also be in line with practices that began about 50 years ago.

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WNU Editor: The Russian process for choosing an ambassador has not changed much from my days .... 2/3 from the bureaucracy, 1/3 contacts and political pay-offs. Top places that Russian diplomats want to go .... Europe, the UN in New York City (also ICAO in Montreal and Geneva), U.S., Canada, China, Japan, and Australia.