Chris Tuttle - Director at the Council on Foreign Relations, UW Alumnus
Graduated in 1996
Member of College Republicans
Member of Minnesota State Legislature
Chief of Staff for Green (WI 2006 Gubernatorial Candidate)
Worked for G.W. Bush Administration
Question & Answer
General Foreign Policy
1. Is Russia making a mistake intervening in Syria
2. Why is Washington not arming the Kurds? Which Republican candidate do you favor?
3. Should the U.S. take in more refugees?
4. What should the U.S. do about Japan rearming their military?
Career Questions/Advice
1. How often do you see people with finance careers coming to work in the foreign policy realm?
4. Opportunity for graduates at CFR?
Graduated in 1996
Member of College Republicans
Member of Minnesota State Legislature
Chief of Staff for Green (WI 2006 Gubernatorial Candidate)
Worked for G.W. Bush Administration
Question & Answer
General Foreign Policy
1. Is Russia making a mistake intervening in Syria
- No - they have no opposition and will not be drawn into the conflict like the war in Afghanistan
- Does not see Russia receiving anything other than what it wants due to lack of opposition
- Sunni, Shiite, and Syrian Government all embroiled in complex conflict
2. Why is Washington not arming the Kurds? Which Republican candidate do you favor?
- They are a different situation entirely
- Administration has been hands off lately
- Not sure if arms will land in the wrong hands
- Administration should be arming the Kurds
3. Should the U.S. take in more refugees?
- It would be a good idea to take on additional refugees
- vetting process takes a long time, and it should be careful
- doesn't know how we can maintain our leadership role in the world and not do more to help in the Syrian Crisis.
4. What should the U.S. do about Japan rearming their military?
- Supports Japanese militarization
- Japan is in a “tough neighborhood”
- has no problem with Japan changing their constitution
- there is potential for destabilization, but Japan is our ally, while China is not.
- No strong opinion about it
- Europe is consistent in talking a good game and not delivering
- Europe should take on more refugees, but is not optimistic about their willingness and capability to get it done
- Trump is not going away
- if he is elected, what will happen with immigration
- Trump’s numbers are lower than portrayed
- If Trump is Elected:
- He probably will not do much of what he says
- A wall is very doubtful
- Can see Trump reversing stance and saying we need more immigrants for labor
- He probably will not do much of what he says
- Need to display to Americans that the border is Secure
- Figure out a path to citizenship that is a cumbersome process
- Republican party needs to talk about immigration in the right way
- Most cases, it is not bigotry, racism, xenophobia - it is rule of law
- People in rural counties, with manufacturing companies, there may be an immigrant population that actually takes the jobs from the locals
- Need to be very clear when they talk about immigration - about rule of law and a system that remains a system of law
- We are too late to the game
- Things are too complicated now
- Once again, we are too late for it to be effective
- Things are too complicated now
- Iraq situation could become more problematic very quickly if troops were placed on the ground
- US would need to deploy all out, and counter Iranian influence
- John Kerry in Israel to mediate - will that help or make things worse?
- there are many intractable issues that have not been solved for a very long time
Career Questions/Advice
1. How often do you see people with finance careers coming to work in the foreign policy realm?
- Not frequently, but not infrequently
- Usually not willing to take a paycut to move from finance and economics to foreign relations advisor or appointee
- The people who do it are already wealthy and want to try something else
- Usually not willing to take a paycut to move from finance and economics to foreign relations advisor or appointee
- It is much easier to move from business to gov’t and foreign policy than the other way around
- Director of Washington Program
- 315 employees
- Sets up meetings that have discussions with experts with interesting perspectives
- Congressional Program
- Making sure that reports being created are getting traction in the policy section
- Working with legislators, ambassadors, etc.
- Task Force
- Research on certain topics
- E.g. Petraeus and Heart Disease (research for certain political bodies, individuals, groups)
- Create and publish a report about research
- Research on certain topics
- Will try, but backed Walker - was on the wrong team
- May get a job, but not sure if he’d want to work for 4 years in D.C. and then go back to the job he already has
4. Opportunity for graduates at CFR?
- Check out the CFR website
- Program assistants
- Varied positions
- Some positions located in NY and some in Washington D.C.
- Worked his way up through the local and state level government
Made decision to come back and work in Wisconsin legislature- worked hardest he’s ever worked
- provided experience that has stuck with him forever
- In position to make mistakes and learn from them
- Looks for hard workers in applicants/graduates
- If you are a hard worker in Washington you can get pretty far
- Before you decide to pursue a career in foreign service, make sure it aligns with your life goals in a holistic approach, not just your career goals.
- It is a tough life
- Moving around a lot
- Difficult to work your way up the ladder
- 2 years minimum of consulate duty, stamping visas
- Make sure you talk to people with careers in foreign service before you pursue the field
- You have to pass the foreign service test
- Take a holistic view of what you want your life situation to be, not just your career
- Washington is full of very successful, unhappy people
- Make sure you seek happiness rather than a good job
- Consider where you want to live? Stable or transient? Do you want a family? Kids?
- You have many options for work right out of school, but that period passes very quickly
- E.g. most thirty year olds do not want to be making copies
- Window between the age of 23 and 26 where you can work bad jobs to move up the ladder
- Looks for hard workers, not complainers, and individuals with people skills