NYT: “It is the unspoken question on every big donor’s lips: How much do I have to give — really — to get appointed to a desirable diplomatic post by the president?…Officially, of course, there are no such requirements for would-be ambassadors. But in a recent study, two researchers — Johannes W. Fedderke and Dennis C. Jett, both professors of international relations at Pennsylvania State University — computed theoretical prices for different postings.”