United States Secretary of State - Revision history

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	The '''United States secretary of state<!--"Secretary of State" is uncapitalized here because it is preceded by modifier "The", per [[MOS:JOBTITLES]] bullet 3 and table column 2 example 1. Any proposal for modification to the guideline should be posted at its talk page, [[WT:MOSBIO]].-->''' implements [[~~Foreign_policy_of_the_United_States~~\|foreign policy]] for the U.S. government as the head of the [[United States Department of State\|U.S. Department of State]]. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the President's [[Cabinet of the United States\|Cabinet]], and ranks the first in the U.S. [[United States presidential line of succession\|presidential line of succession]] among Cabinet secretaries.		The '''United States secretary of state<!--"Secretary of State" is uncapitalized here because it is preceded by modifier "The", per [[MOS:JOBTITLES]] bullet 3 and table column 2 example 1. Any proposal for modification to the guideline should be posted at its talk page, [[WT:MOSBIO]].-->''' implements [[Foreign policy of the United States\|foreign policy]] for the U.S. government as the head of the [[United States Department of State\|U.S. Department of State]]. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the President's [[Cabinet of the United States\|Cabinet]], and ranks the first in the U.S. [[United States presidential line of succession\|presidential line of succession]] among Cabinet secretaries.

	Created in 1789 with [[Thomas Jefferson]] as the first office holder, the Secretary of State represents the US to foreign countries, and is therefore considered analogous to a [[foreign minister]] in other countries.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120927014351/http://www.un.int/protocol/documents/Hspmfm.pdf "Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs"], Protocol and Liaison Service, [[United Nations]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-C0FDE451-36F2483B/natolive/nato_countries.htm NATO Member Countries], [[NATO]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref> The secretary of state is nominated by the [[president of the United States]] and, following a [[confirmation hearing]] before the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations\|Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]], is confirmed by the [[United States Senate]]. The secretary of state, along with the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury\|secretary of the treasury]], [[United States Secretary of Defense\|secretary of defense]], and [[United States Attorney General\|attorney general]], are generally regarded as the four most crucial Cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments.<ref>"Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch" (1997). ''[[Congressional Quarterly]]''. p. 87.</ref>		Created in 1789 with [[Thomas Jefferson]] as the first office holder, the Secretary of State represents the US to foreign countries, and is therefore considered analogous to a [[foreign minister]] in other countries.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120927014351/http://www.un.int/protocol/documents/Hspmfm.pdf "Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs"], Protocol and Liaison Service, [[United Nations]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-C0FDE451-36F2483B/natolive/nato_countries.htm NATO Member Countries], [[NATO]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref> The secretary of state is nominated by the [[president of the United States]] and, following a [[confirmation hearing]] before the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations\|Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]], is confirmed by the [[United States Senate]]. The secretary of state, along with the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury\|secretary of the treasury]], [[United States Secretary of Defense\|secretary of defense]], and [[United States Attorney General\|attorney general]], are generally regarded as the four most crucial Cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments.<ref>"Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch" (1997). ''[[Congressional Quarterly]]''. p. 87.</ref>

	Secretary of State is a [[Executive Schedule#Level I\|Level I position in the Executive Schedule]] and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level ([[US Dollar\|US$]]221,400, as of January 2021).<ref name="Salary">{{cite web\|url= https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2021/EX.pdf\|title=Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)}}</ref~~><ref name="UnitedStatesCode\|5\|5312" /~~> The current secretary of state is [[Antony Blinken]], who was confirmed on January 26, 2021 by the Senate by a vote of 78–22.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress – 1st Session\|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00007\|access-date=2021-01-31\|website=www.senate.gov}}</ref>		Secretary of State is a [[Executive Schedule#Level I\|Level I position in the Executive Schedule]] and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level ([[US Dollar\|US$]]221,400, as of January 2021).<ref name="UnitedStatesCode\|5\|5312" /><ref name="Salary">{{cite web\|url= https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2021/EX.pdf\|title=Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)}}</ref> The current secretary of state is [[Antony Blinken]], who was confirmed on January 26, 2021 by the Senate by a vote of 78–22.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress – 1st Session\|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00007\|access-date=2021-01-31\|website=www.senate.gov}}</ref>

	==Duties and responsibilities==		==Duties and responsibilities==
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	*Bemis, Samuel Flagg, ed. (1963) ''The American Secretaries of State and Their Diplomacy'' (19 vols.), scholaryly biographies		*Bemis, Samuel Flagg, ed. (1963) ''The American Secretaries of State and Their Diplomacy'' (19 vols.), scholaryly biographies
	*Graebner, Norman A., ed. (1961) ''An Uncertain Tradition: American Secretaries of State in the Twentieth Century'' scholarly essays on John Hay through [[John Foster Dulles]].		*Graebner, Norman A., ed. (1961) ''An Uncertain Tradition: American Secretaries of State in the Twentieth Century'' scholarly essays on John Hay through [[John Foster Dulles]].
	*Hopkins, Michael F. (2008) "[[President Harry Truman]]'s Secretaries of State: Stettinius, Byrnes, Marshall and Acheson" ''[[Journal of Transatlantic Studies]]'' v.6 n.3 pp. 290–304.		*Hopkins, Michael F. (2008) "[[President Harry Truman]]'s Secretaries of State: Stettinius, Byrnes, Marshall and Acheson" ''[[Journal of Transatlantic Studies]]'' v.6 n.3 pp. 290–304.
	*Mihalkanin, Edward, ed. (2004) [https://www.questia.com/read/106788643/american-statesmen-secretaries-of-state-from-john online ''American Statesmen: Secretaries of State from [[John Jay]] to [[Colin Powell]]'']] short scholarly articles by experts		*Mihalkanin, Edward, ed. (2004) [https://www.questia.com/read/106788643/american-statesmen-secretaries-of-state-from-john online ''American Statesmen: Secretaries of State from [[John Jay]] to [[Colin Powell]]''] short scholarly articles by experts

	==External links==		==External links==

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2021-08-12T11:09:38Z

Created page with "{{short description|Head of the United States Department of State}} {{distinguish|Secretary of state (U.S. state government)}} {{use American English|date=July 2018}} {{Use md..."

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{{short description|Head of the United States Department of State}}
{{distinguish|Secretary of state (U.S. state government)}}
{{use American English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = United States Secretary
| body = State
| flag = Flag of the United States Secretary of State.svg
| flagborder = yes
| flagsize = 130
| flagcaption = Flag of the Secretary of State
| insignia = Seal of the United States Secretary of State.svg
| insigniasize = 120
| insigniacaption = Seal of the Secretary of State
| image = Secretary Blinken's Official Department Photo.jpg
| incumbent = [[Antony Blinken]]
| incumbentsince = January 26, 2021
| department = [[United States Department of State]]
| style = Mr. Secretary (informal) [[The Honourable#United States|The Honorable]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protocol Reference|url=https://www.state.gov/protocol-reference/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=United States Department of State|language=en-US}}</ref> (formal) [[Excellency|His Excellency]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2021-01-29|title=UNITED NATIONS HEADS OF STATE, Protocol and Liaison Service|url=https://protocol.un.org/dgacm/pls/site.nsf/files/HSPMFM/$FILE/Hspmfm.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914205358/https://protocol.un.org/dgacm/pls/site.nsf/files/HSPMFM/$FILE/Hspmfm.pdf|archive-date=September 14, 2020|access-date=2021-01-31|website=United Nations}}</ref> (diplomatic)
| member_of = [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]]
| reports_to = [[President of the United States]]
| seat = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| appointer = [[President of the United States]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| termlength =
| constituting_instrument = {{UnitedStatesCode|22|2651}}
| precursor = [[United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs|Secretary of Foreign Affairs]]
| formation = {{start date and age|1789|7|27}}
| first = [[Thomas Jefferson]]
| succession = [[United States presidential line of succession|Fourth]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19 |title=3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act |publisher=[[Cornell Law School]] }}</ref>
| deputy = [[United States Deputy Secretary of State|Deputy Secretary of State]]
| salary = [[Executive Schedule|Executive Schedule, Level I]]<ref name="UnitedStatesCode|5|5312">{{UnitedStatesCode|5|5312}}.</ref>
| website = {{url|www.state.gov/secretary/index.htm|www.state.gov}}
}}

The '''United States secretary of state''' implements [[Foreign_policy_of_the_United_States|foreign policy]] for the U.S. government as the head of the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]]. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the President's [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]], and ranks the first in the U.S. [[United States presidential line of succession|presidential line of succession]] among Cabinet secretaries.

Created in 1789 with [[Thomas Jefferson]] as the first office holder, the Secretary of State represents the US to foreign countries, and is therefore considered analogous to a [[foreign minister]] in other countries.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120927014351/http://www.un.int/protocol/documents/Hspmfm.pdf "Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs"], Protocol and Liaison Service, [[United Nations]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-C0FDE451-36F2483B/natolive/nato_countries.htm NATO Member Countries], [[NATO]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref> The secretary of state is nominated by the [[president of the United States]] and, following a [[confirmation hearing]] before the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]], is confirmed by the [[United States Senate]]. The secretary of state, along with the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|secretary of the treasury]], [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]], and [[United States Attorney General|attorney general]], are generally regarded as the four most crucial Cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments.<ref>"Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch" (1997). ''[[Congressional Quarterly]]''. p. 87.</ref>

Secretary of State is a [[Executive Schedule#Level I|Level I position in the Executive Schedule]] and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level ([[US Dollar|US$]]221,400, as of January 2021).<ref name="Salary">{{cite web|url= https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2021/EX.pdf|title=Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)}}</ref><ref name="UnitedStatesCode|5|5312" /> The current secretary of state is [[Antony Blinken]], who was confirmed on January 26, 2021 by the Senate by a vote of 78–22.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress – 1st Session|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00007|access-date=2021-01-31|website=www.senate.gov}}</ref>

==Duties and responsibilities==

The stated duties of the secretary of state are to supervise the United States [[foreign service]] and [[immigration policy]] and administer the Department of State. The secretary must also advise the president on U.S. foreign matters such as the appointment of [[diplomat]]s and [[ambassador]]s, advising the president of the dismissal and recall of these people. The secretary of state can conduct negotiations, interpret, and terminate treaties relating to foreign policy. The secretary also can participate in international conferences, organizations, and agencies as a representative of the United States. The secretary communicates issues relating to the U.S. foreign policy to Congress and citizens. The secretary also provides services to U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad such as providing credentials in the form of [[passport]]s. Doing this, the secretary also ensures the protection of citizens, their property, and interests in foreign countries.<ref name="Duties">{{Cite news |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/115194.htm |title=Duties of the Secretary of State |work=U.S. Department of State |access-date=February 1, 2017}}</ref>

{{quote box
|align = left
|width = 40%
|quote = What are the Qualifications of a Secretary of State? He ought to be a Man of universal Reading in Laws, Governments, History. Our whole terrestrial Universe ought to be summarily comprehended in his Mind.
|qalign = left
|source = —[[John Adams]]<ref>{{Cite book |editor-last = Ford |editor-first = Worthington C. |editor-link = Worthington Chauncey Ford |year = 1927 |title = Statesman and Friend: Correspondence of John Adams with Benjamin Waterhouse, 1784–1822 |location = Boston, MA |publisher = [[Little, Brown, and Company]] |page = [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015026646540;view=1up;seq=69 57] }}</ref>
|salign = right
}}

Secretaries of state also have domestic responsibilities, entrusted in 1789, when the position was first created. These include the protection and custody of the [[Great Seal of the United States]], and the preparation of some [[presidential proclamation]]s. In the process of extraditing [[fugitive]]s to or from the country, the secretary serves as the channel of communication between foreign governments, the federal government, and the states.<ref name="Duties" />

Most of the domestic functions of the Department of State have been transferred to other agencies.{{When|date=November 2020}}{{Why|date=November 2020}} Those that remain include storage and use of the Great Seal, performance of [[Protocol (diplomacy)|protocol]] functions for the [[White House]], and the drafting of certain proclamations. The secretary also negotiates with the individual states over the extradition of fugitives to foreign countries.<ref name="duties">{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/115194.htm|title=Duties of the Secretary of State of the United States|date=January 20, 2009|publisher=United States Department of State|work=www.state.gov|access-date=March 28, 2010}}</ref> Under federal law,<ref>{{Cite web|title=3 U.S. Code § 20 – Resignation or refusal of office|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/20|access-date=2021-01-31|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en}}</ref> the resignation of a president or of a vice president is valid only if declared in writing, in an instrument delivered to the office of the secretary of state. Accordingly, the resignations of President [[Watergate scandal#Final investigations and resignation|Richard Nixon]] and of Vice President [[Spiro Agnew]] were formalized in instruments delivered to then-Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]].

As the highest-ranking member of the cabinet, the secretary of state is the third-highest official of the [[executive branch]] of the U.S. federal government, after the president and vice president, and is fourth in [[United States presidential line of succession|line to succeed the presidency]], after the [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]], the [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|speaker of the House of Representatives]], and the [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|president pro tempore of the Senate]]. Six past secretaries of state{{snd}}[[Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]], [[James Madison|Madison]], [[James Monroe|Monroe]], [[John Quincy Adams]], [[Martin Van Buren|Van Buren]] and [[James Buchanan|Buchanan]]{{snd}}have gone on to be elected president. Others, including [[Henry Clay]], [[William H. Seward|William Seward]], [[James G. Blaine|James Blaine]], [[William Jennings Bryan]], [[Charles Evans Hughes]], [[John Kerry]], and [[Hillary Clinton]] have also campaigned as presidential candidates, either before or after their term of office as Secretary of State, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

==See also==
*[[List of secretaries of state of the United States]]
*[[List of international trips made by the United States Secretary of State]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

'''Further reading'''
*Bemis, Samuel Flagg, ed. (1963) ''The American Secretaries of State and Their Diplomacy'' (19 vols.), scholaryly biographies
*Graebner, Norman A., ed. (1961) ''An Uncertain Tradition: American Secretaries of State in the Twentieth Century'' scholarly essays on John Hay through [[John Foster Dulles]].
*Hopkins, Michael F. (2008) "[[President Harry Truman]]'s Secretaries of State: Stettinius, Byrnes, Marshall and Acheson" ''[[Journal of Transatlantic Studies]]'' v.6 n.3 pp. 290–304.
*Mihalkanin, Edward, ed. (2004) [https://www.questia.com/read/106788643/american-statesmen-secretaries-of-state-from-john online ''American Statesmen: Secretaries of State from [[John Jay]] to [[Colin Powell]]'']] short scholarly articles by experts

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-secretaryofstate.ogg|date=2010-02-23}}
*{{Commonscat-inline|Secretaries of State of the United States}}
*{{Wikiquote-inline}}
*{{official website}}

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{{USSecState}}
{{USDOS agencies}}
{{US Cabinet leaders}}
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[[Category:United States Department of State]]
[[Category:United States Secretaries of State| ]]
[[Category:Cabinet of the United States|State]]
[[Category:United States diplomacy]]
[[Category:1789 establishments in the United States]]