Suggestions are made for working toward five requirements for a competent foreign policy for the United States. These requirements for competency in the foreign service are a thoughtful knowledge of history, which would improve our intolerance of ambiguity; factual and linguistic knowledge; the ability to define terms and ask the right questions; the understanding that policy is more than pronouncements and that resources must be marshalled to attain stated objectives; and an affirmative disposition which recognizes that while the United States may never be perfect, the world is a better place with us than without us. Four areas of concern must be approached in order to achieve these objectives. First, we need substantial changes in teacher education and a review of formal requirements established by our public school systems and colleges and universities. Second, community-based institutions and organizations for continuing education should be reviewed and possibly restructured. Serious efforts are required to bring individuals from diverse backgrounds together for courses of reading and discussion. Third, a major effort must be made to convince the media that foreign news is of interest to Americans. The final effort calls for lobbying local, state, and federal governments for a change in matriculation and graduation requirements, teacher certification, and effective budget support. (Author/KC)