Hello everybody. Before we get started, some very quick and exciting news for you all.

Civics 101 is now a weekly show. That's right. You might not have noticed, but before we were

only coming out every other week, you will finally have a brand spanking new Civics 101 episode

in your feed every single Tuesday. We recently joined Stitcher, and this is allowing us to do that

much more for our listeners and learn so much more about American government. There are so many

stories for us to explore so many questions for us to answer, and now we're going to be able to do

an even better job of that for you. So stay tuned, keep listening, and check for a new Civics 101

episode weekly in your podcast feed. Nick earlier today I asked you, what do you think of when you think

of a diplomat? And before you answered, you did a little bit for me. Do you remember what you did?

Yeah, I do. Can you do that again? Diplomats are kind of like, I'm a fancy lad. I'm super fancy.

I solve problems around the world. The reason I liked that, the reason I'm bringing it up now,

is because prior to about two weeks ago, if I thought of diplomats at all, I thought of fancy,

well-heeled people, mostly men, in suits who hobnob with other fancy, well-heeled men in suits.

Like polo matches and brandy mixed with international intrigue. Do in part, I think, to Hollywood.

I mean, have you ever seen the movie The Ambassader with Robert Mitchem? It's pretty dramatic.

The Ambassader. He's through negotiating.

Anyway, it's not accurate, I'm ashamed. I also have this sort of vague idea of diplomatic

community. Meaning, you can commit any crime and get away with it. But I imagine that's probably

not true. Actually, that's a little bit true. Really?

Uh, depending on your rank, you might have carte blanche immunity. Unless the US decides to take

it away or hand it over to other authorities, which they do, diplomatic community is fascinating.

But let's start with the basics, shall we?

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