FSOT

Council of Economic Advisors

A three-member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy

FSO Skills: Community Service and Institution Building

Actively participates in outreach activities; serves on boards, groups, panels, and mentors others; participates in institution building activities

FSO Skills: Decision-Making and Judgment

Acts confidently and decisively within context of own responsibilities; displays good judgement; keeps superiors appropriately informed of situations requiring attention; understands own and others' authorities and refers issues appropriately

FSO Skills: Directing and Developing Performance

Delegates to staff as appropriate to grade and skill; takes active role in own performance evaluation and ensuring accuracy of own personnel record; reviews and provides feedback as appropriate; develops work requirements with staff; counsels staff about performance, showing special sensitivity to developing, coaching, and training

FSO Skills: Adaptability

Demonstrates flexibility in adapting behavior and work methods as needed in response to new information, changing conditions, preferences of other people, or unexpected obstacles; displays sensitivity to cultural differences

FSO Skills: Technical Skills

Develops technical skills and makes effective use of technology in the job setting; uses it to improve business processes; uses professional body of knowledge to develop and apply best practices in the use of technology

FSO Skills: Customer Service

Interacts professionally, courteously, competently, and in a timely manner with all internal and external customers including government, civil society, and/or business contacts; explains technical information in non-technical terms appropriate and understandable to customers; recognizes the various types of customers served; balances competing and sometimes conflicting interests of customers; seeks ways to use technology to improve customer service

FSO Skills: Team Building

Is open to views of others; accepts and actively implements team consensus; fosters cooperation among colleagues; actively develops own and others' skills; resolves problems from internal and external resources

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Abraham Lincoln on 22 September 1862 Declared that all slaves in Confederate states would be free

FSO Skills: Information Gathering and Analysis

Locates, determines reliability of, and evaluates key information and quickly assimilates it; reorganizes information logically to maximize its practical utility and identify key underlying factors; recognizes when additional information is required and responds accordingly; considers a variety of sources, cross-checking when appropriate; uses social media sources as appropriate

Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title I

Made racial, religious, and sex discrimination by employers illegal Gave the government the power to enforce all laws governing civil rights, including the desegregation of schools and public spaces

FSO Skills: Foreign Language Skill (Generalists; Specialists as applicable)

Meets appropriate language probation requirements; uses foreign language skills to enhance job performance and better serve customers; seeks to improve foreign language skills

Which public speaking technique would hold the audience's attention most effectively?

Occasionally using pauses and silence at specific points during the speech

Self-Serving Bias Error

Occurs when people attribute their successes to internal or personal factors, but attribute their failures to situational factors outside their control The self-serving bias can be seen in the common human tendency to take credit for success but to deny responsibility for failure

A wide span of management control is most likely to result in:

Overly tight supervision of employees

Which three countries exercise de facto administrative and military control over Kashmir?

Pakistan, India, and China

Monroe Doctrine

President James Monroe's declaration forbidding further colonization in the Americas Declaring that any attempt by a foreign country to colonize would be considered to be an act of hostility Europe should not interfere with US affairs

Enumerated Powers

The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution.

Warsaw Pact

Treaty signed in 1955 that formed an alliance of the Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain: USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania Countered NATO

FSO Skills: Professional Expertise

Understands and applies Department of State procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies; assimilates Department of State Civil Service and Foreign Service culture; supports open communication with staff and colleagues; responds to delegation and delegates to staff as appropriate; builds knowledge of US and foreign environments; uses developing expertise in work situations; uses professional expertise to offer solutions, resolve problems, and provide effective customer service

FSO Skills: Institutional Knowledge

Understands the roles and authorities of both the Department and other USG agencies and how they affect the Department and its overseas missions; applies that knowledge and the institutional realities it imposes to develop interagency cooperation, accomplish tasks, and provide effective customer service

FSO Skills: Management of Resources

Utilizes internal controls to protect the integrity of the organization and prevent waste, fraud, and mismanagement, reporting any instances where such problems occur; uses material and financial resources prudently; strives to produce highest return with lowest cost; complies with responsibility regarding resource reporting; exercises accountability

Declaration of Independence

1776 statement, issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain Ratified on 4 July 1776 Primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"

Marbury v Madison

1803 Supreme Court case in which Chief Justice John Marshall and his associates first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the US Constitution Decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress (Judiciary Act of 1789)

Plessy v Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court case which legalized state-ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were "equal"

NATO

1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization An attack against one of the member nations would be viewed as an attack against them all Protected member nations under American nuclear power First US peacetime military alliance in history, formal end to US isolationism Inspired USSR to create the German Democratic Republic (Eastern Germany), explode an atomic bomb in 1949, and set up rival eastern bloc military alliance in 1955: Warsaw Pact Sparked the massive arms race known as the Cold War

Brown v Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court case that overruled Plessy v Ferguson Declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated

Roe v Wade

1973 Supreme Court case which established national abortion guidelines (i.e., trimester guidelines, no state interference in first trimester, state may regulate to protect health of mother in 2nd trimester, state may regulate to protect health of unborn child in 3rd trimester) Inferred from right to privacy established in Griswald v Connecticut Struck down 46 state laws restricting women's access to abortion (highlighted divisions within women's movement)

Regents of the University of California v Bakke

1978 Supreme Court decision holding that a state university could not admit less qualified individuals solely because of their race However, the Court did not prohibit the school from considering race as a factor in future admissions decisions

Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty 1988

1987 agreement between the US and USSR Signed in DC by President Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on 8 December 1987, it was ratified by the US Senate on 27 May 1988 and came into force on 1 June of that year Treaty is formally titled "The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles" The treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with intermediate ranges, defined as between 500-5,500 km (300-3,400 miles) By the treaty's deadline of 1 June 1991, a total of 2,692 such weapons had been destroyed, 846 by the US and 1,846 by the USSR, which was much more unequal in number of INF warheads destroyed Under the treaty both nations were allowed to inspect each other's military installations

Age Discrimination in Employment Act

A federal act passed in 1967 making it illegal for employers with 20 or more employees working at least 20 weeks per year to discriminate against workers aged 40-years or older Act that prohibits discrimination in employment for persons age 40 and over, except where age is a bona fide occupational qualification

Strategic Arms Limitation 1979

Agreement to limit strategic launchers reached in Vienna on 18 June 1979 Signed by Leonid Brezhnev and President Carter In response to US Congress' refusal to ratify the treaty, a young member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, met with the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko; "educated him about American concerns and interests" and secured several changes that neither the US Secretary of State nor President Carter could obtain 6 months after signing, the USSR deployed troops to Afghanistan, and in September of the same year, senators including Henry M. Jackson and Frank Church discovered the so-called "Soviet Brigade" in Cuba In light of these developments, the treaty was never formally ratified by the US Senate Its terms were, nonetheless, honored by both sides until 1986 when the Reagan Administration withdrew from SALT II after accusing the USSR of violating the pact

Situational Judgment #5 You've been working in the same place for the last 3 years and have managed to work your way up. Lately, you have been feeling that you have reached your potential in the company, so you start pursuing other options for advancing your career in other companies. You are now in the midst of negotiations for a new position. Rumors that you are leaving have spread in your current workplace.

Best answer: Because the rumor is out, you update your manage and only him about your intention of leaving. Since you are still an employee there, you keep working normally Other choices: -Since the rumor is already out, you update all your acquaintances in the organization that you are in the midst of negotiations for a new position. This may even encourage your directors to promote you within the company -Since it is only a rumor, you don't update anyone until you actually hand in your notice. Nothing has been decided yet -Since the rumor is already out and you will probably leave, you invest a little less in your work and a bit more in attaining the new position

Situational Judgment #7 A coworker is undermining you. Currently, he is at a less senior position than you in the company and hasn't been working there for long. However, he is better educated than you and is also considered a fast learner. You know from a third party that he is interested in taking over some of your responsibilities

Best answer: You call your coworker in for a talk. You explain that cooperation is an essential feature of any workplace and tell him you believe both of you can learn from one another. If he refuses to understand you take more serious steps Other choices: -You wait to see how things develop; at the moment this information is merely hearsay -You do not want to take any chances with such issues. You report the matter to your supervisor and advise him to consider replacing your coworker -Since you do not want to make a "big deal" out of the issue, you ask a third party to intimate to your coworker that his behavior is unacceptable

Situational Judgment #11 You work in a large audit firm as a consultant. There are five additional members in the team, all working under the supervision of a team manager and the department manager above him. Matt, a coworker in your staff with whom you share an office, needs your advice regarding a report he is about to present at this week's team meeting. These meetings are led by your team manager but the department manager is almost always present, too. Although the part of the report that Matt shows you seems fine, you notice that the numerical analysis in another section of the report is missing important conclusions. You can tell that this section of the report does not adhere to the standards of your department's supervisors. Matt seems to be confident about that part of the report and you get the impression that he is not interested in your opinion about it.

Best answer: You do your best to get him to listen. It may involve some discomfort but you try to explain the logic behind your criticism in the hope that he will understand 2nd best answer: If he does not want to listen to you, notify management about it. Talk to your manager and ask him to explain to Matt the importance of the necessary changes 3rd best answer: If he is not interested in your opinion, there is not much you can do about it. You let it go and leave him to deal with the consequences of a poor presentation Worst answer: It's best to stay out of it. If Matt doesn't want to hear your thoughts, that is his right and there is always the possibility that you are mistaken

Situational Judgment #4 You have been working as a salesperson for the past year and have consistently achieved great sales numbers. Due to personal reasons, you have recently been unfocused at work and as a result your work performance has declined. Additionally, due to changes in the market, the sales figures of your team have decreased as well. Your director does not seem to be taking the changes in the market into account and is blaming your poor performance on poor leadership on your part

Best answer: You make a decision to put aside your personal situation and consult other sales directors regarding their ways of coping with a volatile market. You devote yourself entirely to your work 2nd best answer: You explain your personal situation to the director and apologize for the decline in the performance of my team. You ask to take a few days off to recuperate 3rd best answer: You update the director on the changes in the market and explain that there is nothing that can be done at the moment to improve sales Worst answer: You scold your team members for their poor performance and set new, more attainable sales targets in line with the changes in the market

Situational Judgment #1 You are a department manager and you have recently thought of a new procedure that you believe would improve the work process. Some of the employees in your department agree with the change and some do not. One of your employees openly criticizes your idea to your director

Best answer: You meet the employee for a talk and explain that bypassing your authority is unacceptable Other choices: -You decide not to respond to the critics in order to avoid unnecessary conflict -You reprimand the employee for going over your head to the director and work to promote your idea with even more enthusiasm -Employees' trust in their manager is important so you decide to implement only some of the changes to keep my employees satisfied

Situational Judgment #9 In the past month, one of your employees has shown a major decline in sales performance. Although the decline has been ongoing for a couple of months, it has been particularly steep during the past two weeks. In addition, she has started coming in late and seems very frustrated with her work. Her behavior is influencing the atmosphere in the office as she is a popular employee and has been working for the company for the past two years

Best answer: You meet with the employee and explain that her negative behavior is affecting not only her performance but that of the entire office. You express a sincere desire to help her during her rough patch on condition that she cooperate with you and improve her attitude 2nd best answer: You feel that since she is a very popular employee it is crucial that she be replaced temporarily or else office performance will suffer. You assign her to back office tasks for the time being and promise her that once her performance improves, you will reinstate her in her former position 3rd best answer: You call a staff meeting to talk about the negative atmosphere in the office. You single out the problematic employee and discuss her contribution to this atmosphere in the hope that her behavior will improve Worst answer: You decide to let it blow over. She has been a consistently good employee until recently and you feel the need to "cut her some slack." Part of your job is to be sensitive to your employees' needs when necessary

Situational Judgment #6 The company you work for is experiencing financial difficulties. You have thought of a creative solution that will enable it to recruit more clients. However, the downside is that the company will have to let go of a stable, loyal, but not-so-profitable client (due to a conflict of interest). 2 out of 3 marketing people agree with you, while your manager does not because she believes this is too risky.

Best answer: You present a document to your manager systematically detailing the advantages of your proposition and its contribution to the company. If she keeps insisting, you'll support her decision 2nd best answer: You trust your manager's judgment and withdraw your proposition. There's no point in going against her better judgment 3rd best answer: You confront your manager on the issue and insist that she accept your proposal. You are positive that you are right. You have the marketing people to back you and will not give up until you convince your manager otherwise Worst answer: You implement your proposition despite the manager's resistance. Since you have a lot of faith in this proposition, you decide to trust your judgment and go behind her back this once for the benefit of the company

Situational Judgment #10 You are assigned to work on a project along with another coworker. He has been working in the department longer than you. Since he has no great ambitions or aspirations to develop professionally, he does not put much effort into your mutual project

Best answer: You reach out to the coworker, explain your difficulty and try to negotiate a fair distribution of the work load between you. You take into account that you might have to put in extra hours to complete whatever tasks he neglects to do 2nd best answer: You are concerned that the quality of the project will reflect badly on you and the company, so you put in extra hours to complete the project by yourself to the best of your abilities 3rd best answer: You cannot accept this kind of attitude. You immediately contact your manager to discuss the situation. You request that your coworker be replaced by another worker to complete the project Worst answer: This is an inflexible situation as far as you're concerned, so you accept it and do your share of the workload to the best of your ability. The rest is up to your coworker

Situational Judgment #3 After you have served two years as manager of the sales team, the director of your company appoints a new deputy manager. Although you have been able to work together, your impressions of her are negative - you find her arrogant and disloyal. The director has now considered sending her on a course that would create an opportunity for her relocation to a different position within the company. However, it would also speed up her promotion.

Best answer: You veto her participation in the course and discuss it with her. You express your concerns and you try to work out your differences. You update your director 2nd best answer: You approve her participation in the course since it was offered by the director. However, you voice your concerns to the director 3rd best answer: You contact your director immediately and ask that she be relocated to a different position, more suited to her capabilities Worst answer: Since this course is likely to result in the relocation of the deputy manager, you approve her participation in the course

Situational Judgment #2 At a marketing meeting with your supervisor and the senior marketing manager you find yourself in the midst of a conflict between them. You know that the two do not get along professionally and that they are in constant disagreement. They are now arguing about strategies for a new campaign, and are asking you to pick a side.

Best answer: You weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each side and decide accordingly without getting involved in their personal conflict Other choices: -You accept the idea of the senior marketing manager. Since she is more senior she has more influence on your status in the company and therefore it is politically wiser to support her -You accept the idea of your supervisor. Since he is directly above you, he has more influence on your daily routine in the company and therefore it is politically wiser to support him -You believe that getting involved in this dispute would be detrimental to you as both sides are superior to you. Therefore, you refuse to pick a side saying that both strategies are equally successful

FSO Skills: Workplace Perceptiveness

Demonstrates sensitivity in both domestic and foreign environments, inside and outside the office, to status, protocol relationships, and chain of command; responds considerately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others; shows respect for cultural differences or different missions of agencies or counterparts

FSO Skills: Job Information

Develops and applies body of professional knowledge needed in current assignment; learns factors which impact work; understands how job relates to organizational goals and US policy objectives, and gains understanding of interagency equities; uses FSI and other training to improve individual job performance; applies accumulated professional and/or technical knowledge to current assignment

FSO Skills: Knowledge of Foreign Cultures

Develops and demonstrates knowledge of other cultures, values, and norms to include practicing effective customer service and business etiquette appropriate to the host country culture; understands foreign or regional perspectives relevant to postings abroad or domestically

FSO Skills: Public Outreach

Develops public speaking, writing, and social media skills by seeking appropriate opportunities and forums to present US views and perspectives; exercises appropriate discretion and seeks guidance in communicating sensitive issues; uses emerging technologies to connect with external communities

Mayflower Compact

Document drafted in 1620 prior to settlement by pilgrims at Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts Declared that the 41 men who signed it agreed to accept majority rule and to participate in a government in the best interests of all colony members Set precedent for later documents outlining commonwealth rule

FSO Skills: Operational Effectiveness

Effectively represents the Department in the interagency process and considers the interests of other agencies as appropriate; produces results in a timely, effective manner; coordinates with other organizations; utilizes all available tools provided by the Department to manage a diverse, flexible workforce

FSO Skills: Relationship Building and Representational Skills

Establishes and maintains purposeful and productive relationships with domestic, interagency, and foreign contacts, clients, and counterparts; interacts effectively in official and social encounters; attends, uses, and/or hosts representational events to promote relationships and understanding with contacts and counterparts as appropriate

Actor Observer Error

Hypothesis that "actors tend to attribute the causes of their behavior to stimuli inherent in the situation, while observers tend to attribute behavior to stable dispositions of the actors" Imagine a student who spent hours studying for an exam - why did she? According to Jones and Nisbett's (1971) hypothesis, the student herself (the actor) is likely to explain her intensive studying by referring to the upcoming difficult exam, whereas other people (the observers) are likely to explain her studying by referring to her disposition as being hardworking or ambitious

FSO Skills: Critical Thinking

Identifies key information, central issues, and common themes; identifies the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches; outlines realist options; distinguishes fact from opinion and relevant from irrelevant information

Which type of tax is an example of a progressive tax system in the US?

Income tax

FSO Skills: Professional Standards

Is self-aware and holds self accountable for rules and responsibilities; is dependable and conscientious; is composed, professional, and productive, even in difficult conditions; treats all with respect; is aware of and seeks to report instances or events that could create or result in a hostile work environment

FSO Skills: Leadership and Management Training

Learns and applies principles of effective leadership and management; pursues formal and informal training opportunities

FSO Skills: Persuasion and Negotiation

Learns to influence others in the public and private sectors; gains cooperation while showing, in the spirit of mutual respect, understanding of other positions; applies these skills in both technical and nontechnical settings

FSO Skills: Active Listening

Listens attentively; understands and comprehends others' messages; correctly reads nonverbal signals; summarizes others' views accurately and confirms accuracy of understanding; considers and responds respectfully and appropriately

Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe

Negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War Established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atlantic to the Urals) and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry The treaty proposed equal limits for the two "groups of states-parties," NATO and the Warsaw Pact

FSO Skills: Crisis Management Skills

Possesses appropriate knowledge of short-term (emergency) management and long-term (business continuity) management responses to criss, incidents, or other serious situations, and when appropriate participates in the development of plans to respond to such incidents

FSO Skills: Security and Safety, including Management of Sensitive and Classified Material, Information, and Infrastructure

Practices good personal, information, and physical security; takes full responsibility for properly handling and safeguarding sensitive and classified material, information, and infrastructure; properly handles and accounts for dangerous equipment; reports or addresses possible safety or security hazards or unsafe practices; monitors and addresses changes in the security environment that impact risk management, decisions, and actions; actively leads or participates in post's Emergency Action Committee

FSO Skills: Leadership

Proposes creative and sensible solutions; takes calculated risks; make procedural improvements; inspire staff to embrace change; engage staff input and support; prepare for the future

FSO Skills: Openness to Dissent and Differing Views

Provides constructive dissent; seeks to resolve disputes using appropriate mechanisms; encourages frank communication; discerns when well-founded constructive dissent is justified; encourages personnel to express opinions; accords importance to well-founded constructive dissent and solicits, weighs, and defends appropriate expression

Situational Judgment #8 You are a department manager. Two members of your staff are long overdue to participate in a professional training course. The training department manager has informed you that she has chosen employees from a different department instead. Relations with the training department are already problematic. First, rate how effective you think each action would be, and then choose the action you would probably take. Index: Counterproductive, ineffective, slightly effective, effective, action I would take

Response A: Counterproductive -You do not accept the decision and send the training manager a furious e-mail demanding that she re-open the course for your employees as their performance is hindered by the delay in their training. You make sure to CC the executive director Response B: Ineffective -Since relations between you and the training manager are already strained, you decide to let the subject go this time and wait a few months until the next course opens Response C: Slightly productive -You contact the manager of the other department, whose workers were selected for training instead of your employees. You try to convince him to let one of your employees take the course instead of one of his Response D: Effective, Action I would take -You talk to the training manager and try to understand the reasons for her decision. You explain the necessity of training for your department's performance and try to persuade her to let at least one of your employees attend the course

FSO Skills: Professional Development, including Active Learning

Seeks out new job-related knowledge and readily grasps its implications for the workplace; seeks informal feedback and learns from mistakes; recognizes own strengths and weaknesses and pursues self-development; is self-aware about own areas of insufficient knowledge; maintains current certifications as appropriate

Which of the following rights or powers represents a check and balance on judicial power?

Senate's power to confirm the president's judicial appointments

Threshold Test Ban Treaty 1974

Signed in 1974 by the US and USSR Established a nuclear "threshold" by prohibiting nuclear tests of devices having a yield exceeding 150 kilotonnes

FSO Skills: Oral Communication

Speaks in a concise, effective, and organized manner, tailored to the audience and the situation; speaks convincingly in groups and in individual discussions; communicates and explains technical information through use of analogy and other techniques to ensure understanding by the intended audience; utilizes and promotes the most effective communication tools to successfully engage intended audiences

Miranda v Arizona

Supreme Court held that criminal suspects must be informed of their right to consult with an attorney and of their right against self-incrimination prior to questioning by police

FSO Skills: Support for Equal Employment Opportunity and Merit Principles

Takes diversity training and applies its principles to the workplace; treats all individuals with respect and without regard to diversity; fosters an organization-wide environment in which diversity is valued and respected

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

War Powers Act of 1973

Vests in Congress the exclusive power to declare war In 1973, Congress passed this law which requires that soldiers sent into military action overseas by the President be brought back within sixty days unless Congress approves the action

Which term relates to a website or online document that serves as a repository of information about a topic and allows knowledgeable contributors to edit or add to its content?

Wiki

FSO Skills: Written Communication

Writes succinctly; produces written materials that are thorough and on-time; conveys analysis that highlights essential points and clearly explains essence of subject to the intended audience; prepares written information to ensure understanding by the target audience; appropriately contributes to social media platforms to further the Department's goals