Corporate executive discusses foreign policy

Fannie Mae Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Robert Zoellick didn't come to Penn to speak about mortgages yesterday afternoon, even though his company is the largest housing finance investor in the United States. Instead he discussed "U.S. Foreign Policy After the Cold War" with about 60 people in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. The former undersecretary of state and counselor of the State Department, Zoellick was the second speaker for the Public Policy Forum Series, according to Janet Pack, chairperson of the Gruss Public Management Fellowship Program. Zoellick based his hour-long speech on the tension between realism and idealism in foreign policy. He pointed out that a program established purely on one or the other would not be feasible. Zoellick suggested that foreign policy should consist of a "blend" of the two. He went on to provide global historical examples of policies that incorporate a mix of idealism and realism. The latter half of his speech focused on possible international U.S. foreign policies. The Harvard University Kennedy School of Government graduate encouraged "the U.S. to take advantages of opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America." Zoellick concluded his speech by urging the U.S. government "to develop a foreign policy strategy that the American public will support." He explained that the majority of the American public is not isolationist, yet they do not want the U.S. to be burdened with the world's problems. Many in attendance felt that Zoellick's speech failed to discuss U.S. foreign policy regarding Bosnia, the most important issue facing the Clinton administration today. But Zoellick did comment on Bosnia when a question was raised during the question and answer period. Wharton graduate student Jeff Regen "found [Zoellick's] answer to the Bosnia question the most interesting and specific." He agreed that Zoellick's suggestion of "a Bosnia policy based on domestic political concern" is unlikely to be effective. Others were generally satisfied with the speech. "I thought it was interesting, but the turnout ratio was real low for a person of his caliber," said Wharton graduate student Quan Nghe. The Public Policy Forum Series is in its second year and is sponsored by Wharton's Public Policy Management Department and the Gruss Public Management Fellowship Program, Pack said. Speakers are selected based on their involvement in public policy and are intended to provoke conversation and even debate among attendees.