REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of
Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service
Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
CANDIDATE: William Ruger
William Ruger serves as Vice President for Research and Policy at the Charles Koch Institute and Vice President, Foreign Policy at Stand Together. He was previously an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Texas State University and an adjunct Assistant Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. He serves on several non-profit boards, including the Board of Directors of the Center for the National Interest and the Advisory Board of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law. Dr. Ruger is a veteran of the Afghanistan War and an officer in the U.S. Navy (Reserve Component). His deep understanding of the complexities of U.S. foreign policy, extensive contacts among policymakers and policy leaders, and his personal experience as a military officer serving in Afghanistan, make him a well-qualified candidate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Dr. Ruger’s scholarship has appeared in a number of academic journals including International Studies Quarterly, Civil Wars, and Armed Forces and Society. He
is the author of the biography Milton Friedman and coauthor of two books on state politics, including Freedom in the 50 States (now in its 5th edition). Dr. Ruger has written op-eds for numerous outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today, and he has been interviewed frequently for television and radio, appearing on Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. He is on the Editorial Board of Armed Forces and Society.
Dr. Ruger was awarded his A.B. degree from The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg and his Ph.D. from Brandeis University. He also earned a Special Operations Warfighter Certificate from the Joint Special Operations University in Tampa, Florida. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star.