State Department announces new head of policy planning - POLITICO

State Department Building — Peter Berkowitz came to the State Department from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The State Department on Monday announced the political scientist Peter Berkowitz as the head of policy planning, a post that puts him in charge of long-term strategic thinking for the department.

Berkowitz, who was already working in the Office of Policy Planning, will replace his former boss, Kiron Skinner, who was dismissed earlier this month over concerns about her management style.

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The announcement came in an internal email to State Department officials on Monday morning, according to one of those officials.

Berkowitz, who has taught both constitutional law and political philosophy, came to the State Department from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is the author of four books on subjects ranging from conservatism and progressivism to the ethics of Nietzsche.

Under former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Department of Policy Planning — which has historically operated as the State Department’s internal think tank — played a key role in the day-to-day management of the department.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who works closely with a team of special envoys, has returned it to its traditional role of churning out papers and proposals on long-range strategic issues.