United States Secretary of State: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Head of the United States Department of State}}
{{Short description|Head of the US Department of State}}
{{distinguish|Secretary of state (U.S. state government)}}
{{Distinguish|Secretary of state (U.S. state government)}}
{{use American English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox official post
{{Infobox official post
| post = United States Secretary
| post = United States Secretary
Line 9: Line 9:
| flagborder = yes
| flagborder = yes
| flagsize = 130
| flagsize = 130
| flagcaption = Flag of the Secretary of State
| flagcaption = Flag of the secretary of state
| insignia = Seal of the United States Secretary of State.svg
| insignia = Seal of the United States Secretary of State.svg
| insigniasize = 120
| insigniasize = 120
| insigniacaption = Seal of the Secretary of State
| insigniacaption = Seal of the secretary of state
| image = Secretary Blinken's Official Department Photo.jpg
| image = Official portrait of Secretary Marco Rubio.jpg
| incumbent = [[Antony Blinken]]
| incumbent = [[Marco Rubio]]
| incumbentsince = January 26, 2021
| incumbentsince = January 21, 2025
| department = [[United States Department of State]]
| department = [[United States Department of State]]
| style = Mr. Secretary<br>(informal)<br>[[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><br>(formal)<br>[[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><br>(diplomatic)
| style = Mr. Secretary (informal)<br>[[The Honourable#United States|The Honorable]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protocol Reference|url=https://www.state.gov/protocol-reference/|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=United States Department of State|language=en-US|archive-date=January 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130184128/https://www.state.gov/protocol-reference/|url-status=live}}</ref> (formal)<br>[[Excellency|His Excellency]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 29, 2021|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=January 31, 2021|website=United Nations}}</ref> (diplomatic)
| member_of = [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]]<br>[[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]]
| member_of = [[Cabinet of the United States]]<br>[[United States National Security Council]]
| reports_to = [[President of the United States]]
| reports_to = [[President of the United States]]
| seat = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| seat = [[Harry S Truman Building]]<br>[[Washington, D.C.]]
| appointer = [[President of the United States]]
| appointer = The [[President of the United States|president]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| termlength =
| constituting_instrument = {{UnitedStatesCode|22|2651}}
| constituting_instrument = {{UnitedStatesCode|22|2651}}
| precursor = [[United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs|Secretary of Foreign Affairs]]
| precursor = [[United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs|Secretary of Foreign Affairs]]
| formation = {{start date and age|1789|7|27}}
| formation = {{start date and age|1789|7|27}}
| first = [[Thomas Jefferson]]
| 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>
| 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]] |access-date=February 4, 2017 |archive-date=December 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226123834/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| deputy = [[United States Deputy Secretary of State|Deputy Secretary of State]]
| deputy = [[United States Deputy Secretary of State]]
| salary = [[Executive Schedule|Executive Schedule, Level I]]<ref name="UnitedStatesCode|5|5312">{{UnitedStatesCode|5|5312}}.</ref>
| 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}}
| abbreviation = SecState
| termlength = No fixed term
| website = {{URL|https://www.state.gov/secretary|state.gov/secretary}}
}}
}}


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]].--> ('''SecState''')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abbreviations and Terms |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/96602.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118111217/https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/96602.pdf |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |access-date=July 18, 2023 |website=2001-2009.state.gov}}</ref> is a member of the [[Federal government of the United States#Executive branch|executive branch]] of the [[federal government of the United States]] and the head of the [[U.S. Department of State]], equivalent to a [[minister of foreign affairs]].


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>
The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all [[foreign affairs]] matters. The secretary carries out the president's foreign policies through the U.S Department of State, which includes the [[Foreign Service Institute|Foreign Service]], Civil Service, and [[United States Agency for International Development|U.S. Agency for International Development]]. The office holder is the second-highest-ranking member of the president's [[Cabinet of the United States|cabinet]], after the vice president, and ranks fourth in the [[United States presidential line of succession|presidential line of succession]]; and is first amongst cabinet secretaries.


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>
Created in 1789 with [[Thomas Jefferson]] as its first office holder, the secretary of state represents the United States to foreign countries, and is therefore considered analogous to a secretary or [[Ministry of foreign affairs|minister of foreign affairs]] 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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001021817/http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-C0FDE451-36F2483B/natolive/nato_countries.htm |date=October 1, 2017 }}, [[NATO]]. Retrieved November 2, 2012.</ref> The secretary of state is nominated by the president of the United States and, following a [[United States congressional hearing|confirmation hearing]] before the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]], is confirmed by the [[United States Senate|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>
 
The 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, $250,600 {{As of|lc=y|2025|January}}.<ref name="UnitedStatesCode|5|5312" /><ref name="Salary">{{cite web |date=January 1, 2025 |title=Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule |url=https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2025/EX.pdf |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=January 5, 2025 |website=[[United States Office of Personnel Management|Office of Personnel Management]]}}</ref>
 
== History ==
The secretary of state originates from the government under the [[Articles of Confederation]]. The [[Congress of the Confederation]] established the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1781 and created the office of secretary of foreign affairs.{{Sfn|Short|1923|pp=55–56}} After the [[Constitution of the United States]] was ratified, the [[1st United States Congress]] reestablished the department, renaming it the Department of State, and created the office of secretary of state to lead the department.<ref>{{cite web |title=An Act for establishing an Executive Department, to be denominated the Department of Foreign Affairs |date=27 July 1789 |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/link/statute/1/28?link-type=details |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|GPO]] |access-date=27 July 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=An Act to provide for the Safe-keeping of the Acts, Records, and Seal of the United States, and for other purposes |date=15 September 1789 |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/link/statute/1/68?link-type=details |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|GPO]] |access-date=27 July 2024 }}</ref>


==Duties and responsibilities==
==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>
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 diplomats and ambassadors, 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 passports. 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 |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808114347/https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/115194.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


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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" />
Secretaries of state also have domestic responsibilities. Most of the historical domestic functions of the Department of State were gradually transferred to other agencies by the late 19th century as part of various administrative reforms and restructurings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Administrative Timeline of the Department of State – Department History – Office of the Historian|url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/timeline/1789-1899|access-date=January 10, 2022|website=history.state.gov|archive-date=November 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111183128/https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/timeline/1789-1899|url-status=live}}</ref> 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"/> Under federal law, 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.<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=January 31, 2021|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en|archive-date=December 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202201822/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/20|url-status=live}}</ref> 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]].
 
Although they have historically decreased over time, Congress may occasionally add to the responsibilities of the secretary of state. One such instance occurred in 2014, when Congress passed the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act which mandated actions the secretary of state must take in order to facilitate the return of abducted children from nations who are party to the [[Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/3212 |website=Congress.gov |access-date=May 1, 2022 |title=H.R.3212 – 113th Congress (2013–2014): Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 |date=August 8, 2014 |archive-date=May 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501221523/https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/3212 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
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]].


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]].
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]], [[Daniel Webster]], [[Lewis Cass]], [[John C. Calhoun]], [[John M. Clayton]], [[William L. Marcy]], [[William H. Seward|William Seward]], [[Edward Everett]], [[Jeremiah S. Black]], [[James G. Blaine|James Blaine]], [[Elihu B. Washburne]], [[Thomas F. Bayard]], [[John Sherman]], [[Walter Q. Gresham]], [[William Jennings Bryan]], [[Philander C. Knox]], [[Charles Evans Hughes]], [[Elihu Root]], [[Cordell Hull]], [[Edmund Muskie]], [[Alexander Haig]], [[John Kerry]], [[Hillary Clinton]], and [[Marco Rubio]] have also campaigned as presidential candidates, either before or after their term of office as secretary of state, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The position of secretary of state has therefore been viewed to be a consolation prize for failed presidential candidates.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-do-secretaries-state-make-such-terrible-presidential-candidates-180952327/ |title=Why Do Secretaries of State Make Such Terrible Presidential Candidates? |last=Stone |first=Andrea |magazine=Smithsonian Magazine |date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=September 15, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-date=September 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918151233/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-do-secretaries-state-make-such-terrible-presidential-candidates-180952327/}}</ref>


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.
== Timeline of secretaries of state ==
{{See also|List of United States secretaries of state}}
The following [[Bar chart|timeline]] depicts the progression of the secretaries of state and their political affiliation at the time of assuming office.{{#tag:timeline|ImageSize=width:1000 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:120 right:80 left:20
AlignBars = late
 
Define $now= {{#time:Y}}
 
Colors    =
  id:ind        value:rgb(0.63,0.63,0.63)          legend: Independent
  id:federalist value:rgb(0.85, 0.52, 0.38)        legend: Federalist_Party
  id:demrep    value:rgb(0, 0.5, 0)                legend: Democratic_Republican_Party
  id:natrep    value:rgb(1, 0.902, 0.69)          legend: National_Republican_Party
  id:democratic value:rgb(0,0.33,0.86)              legend: Democratic_Party
  id:whig      value:rgb(0.84, 0.74, 0.34)        legend: Whig_Party
  id:republican value:rgb(0.86,0.08,0.18)          legend: Republican_Party
  id:gray1      value:gray(0.8)
  id:gray2      value:gray(0.9)
 
DateFormat = yyyy
Period    = from:1788 till:{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+2}}
TimeAxis  = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:12 start:1788
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:4 start:1788
 
Legend    = columns:1 left:150 top:70 columnwidth:150
 
TextData =
  pos:(20,75) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political parties:"
 
BarData =
bar:Jefferson 
bar:Randolph
bar:Pickering
bar:Marshall
bar:Madison
bar:Smith
bar:Monroe
bar:JQA
bar:Clay
bar:Buren
bar:Livingston
bar:McLane
bar:Forsyth
bar:Webster
bar:Upshur
bar:Calhoun
bar:Buchanan
bar:Clayton
bar:Everett
bar:Marcy
bar:Cass
bar:Black
bar:Seward
bar:Washburne
bar:Fish
bar:Evarts
bar:Blaine
bar:Frelinghuysen
bar:Bayard
bar:Foster
bar:Gresham
bar:Olney
bar:Sherman
bar:Day
bar:Hay
bar:Root
bar:Bacon
bar:Knox
bar:Bryan
bar:Lansing
bar:Colby
bar:Hughes
bar:Kellogg
bar:Stimson
bar:Hull
bar:Stettinius
bar:Byrnes
bar:GCMarshall
bar:Acheson
bar:Dulles
bar:Herter
bar:Rusk
bar:Rogers
bar:Kissinger
bar:Vance
bar:Muskie
bar:Haig
bar:Shultz
bar:Baker
bar:Eagleburger
bar:Christopher
bar:Albright
bar:Powell
bar:Rice
bar:Clinton
bar:Kerry
bar:Tillerson
bar:Pompeo
bar:Blinken
bar:Rubio
 
PlotData=
  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
 
bar:Jefferson 
  from: 1790 till: 1793 color:DemRep    text:"[[Thomas Jefferson]]"
bar:Randolph
  from: 1794 till: 1795 color:Federalist text:"[[Edmund Randolph]]"
bar:Pickering
  from: 1795 till: 1800 color:Federalist text:"[[Timothy Pickering]]"
bar:Marshall
  from: 1800 till: 1801 color:Federalist text:"[[John Marshall]]"
bar:Madison
  from: 1801 till: 1809 color:DemRep    text:"[[James Madison]]"
bar:Smith
  from: 1809 till: 1811 color:DemRep    text:"[[Robert Smith (American cabinet member)|Robert Smith]]"
bar:Monroe
  from: 1811 till: 1817 color:DemRep    text:"[[James Monroe]]"
bar:JQA
  from: 1817 till: 1825 color:DemRep    text:"[[John Quincy Adams]]"
bar:Clay
  from: 1825 till: 1826 color:DemRep
  from: 1826 till: 1829 color:NatRep    text:"[[Henry Clay]]"
bar:Buren
  from: 1829 till: 1831 color:Democratic text:"[[Martin Van Buren]]"
bar:Livingston
  from: 1831 till: 1833 color:Democratic text:"[[Edward Livingston]]"
bar:McLane
  from: 1833 till: 1834 color:Democratic text:"[[Louis McLane]]"
bar:Forsyth
  from: 1834 till: 1841 color:Democratic text:"[[John Forsyth (politician)|John Forsyth]]"
bar:Webster
  from: 1841 till: 1843 color:Whig
  from: 1850 till: 1852 color:Whig      text:"[[Daniel Webster]]"
bar:Upshur
  from: 1843 till: 1844 color:Whig      text:"[[Abel P. Upshur]]"
bar:Calhoun
  from: 1844 till: 1845 color:Democratic text:"[[John C. Calhoun]]"
bar:Buchanan
  from: 1845 till: 1849 color:Democratic text:"[[James Buchanan]]"
bar:Clayton
  from: 1849 till: 1850 color:Whig      text:"[[John M. Clayton]]"
bar:Everett
  from: 1852 till: 1853 color:Whig      text:"[[Edward Everett]]"
bar:Marcy
  from: 1853 till: 1857 color:Democratic text:"[[William L. Marcy]]"
bar:Cass
  from: 1857 till: 1860 color:Democratic text:"[[Lewis Cass]]"
bar:Black
  from: 1860 till: 1861 color:Democratic text:"[[Jeremiah S. Black]]"
bar:Seward
  from: 1861 till: 1869 color:Republican text:"[[William H. Seward]]"
bar:Washburne
  from: 1869 till: 1869 color:Republican text:"[[Elihu B. Washburne]]"
bar:Fish
  from: 1869 till: 1877 color:Republican text:"[[Hamilton Fish]]"
bar:Evarts
  from: 1877 till: 1881 color:Republican text:"[[William M. Evarts]]"
bar:Blaine
  from: 1881 till: 1881 color:Republican
  from: 1889 till: 1892 color:Republican text:"[[James G. Blaine]]"
bar:Frelinghuysen
  from: 1881 till: 1885 color:Republican text:"[[Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen]]"
bar:Bayard
  from: 1885 till: 1889 color:Democratic text:"[[Thomas F. Bayard]]"
bar:Foster
  from: 1892 till: 1893 color:Republican text:"[[John W. Foster]]"
bar:Gresham
  from: 1893 till: 1895 color:Democratic text:"[[Walter Q. Gresham]]"
bar:Olney
  from: 1895 till: 1897 color:Democratic text:"[[Richard Olney]]"
bar:Sherman
  from: 1897 till: 1898 color:Republican text:"[[John Sherman]]"
bar:Day
  from: 1898 till: 1898 color:Republican text:"[[William R. Day]]"
bar:Hay
  from: 1898 till: 1905 color:Republican text:"[[John Hay]]"
bar:Root
  from: 1905 till: 1909 color:Republican text:"[[Elihu Root]]"
bar:Bacon
  from: 1909 till: 1909 color:Republican text:"[[Robert Bacon]]"
bar:Knox
  from: 1909 till: 1913 color:Republican text:"[[Philander C. Knox]]"
bar:Bryan
  from: 1913 till: 1915 color:Democratic text:"[[William Jennings Bryan]]"
bar:Lansing
  from: 1915 till: 1920 color:Democratic text:"[[Robert Lansing]]"
bar:Colby
  from: 1920 till: 1921 color:Democratic text:"[[Bainbridge Colby]]"
bar:Hughes
  from: 1921 till: 1925 color:Republican text:"[[Charles Evans Hughes]]"
bar:Kellogg
  from: 1925 till: 1929 color:Republican text:"[[Frank B. Kellogg]]"
bar:Stimson
  from: 1929 till: 1933 color:Republican text:"[[Henry L. Stimson]]"
bar:Hull
  from: 1933 till: 1944 color:Democratic text:"[[Cordell Hull]]"
bar:Stettinius
  from: 1944 till: 1945 color:Democratic text:"[[Edward Stettinius Jr.]]"
bar:Byrnes
  from: 1945 till: 1947 color:Democratic text:"[[James F. Byrnes]]"
bar:GCMarshall
  from: 1947 till: 1949 color:Ind        text:"[[George C. Marshall]]"
bar:Acheson
  from: 1949 till: 1953 color:Democratic text:"[[Dean Acheson]]"
bar:Dulles
  from: 1953 till: 1959 color:Republican text:"[[John Foster Dulles]]"
bar:Herter
  from: 1959 till: 1961 color:Republican text:"[[Christian Herter]]"
bar:Rusk
  from: 1961 till: 1969 color:Democratic text:"[[Dean Rusk]]"
bar:Rogers
  from: 1969 till: 1973 color:Republican text:"[[William P. Rogers]]"
bar:Kissinger
  from: 1973 till: 1977 color:Republican text:"[[Henry Kissinger]]"
bar:Vance
  from: 1977 till: 1980 color:Democratic text:"[[Cyrus Vance]]"
bar:Muskie
  from: 1980 till: 1981 color:Democratic text:"[[Edmund Muskie]]"
bar:Haig
  from: 1981 till: 1982 color:Republican text:"[[Alexander Haig]]"
bar:Shultz
  from: 1982 till: 1989 color:Republican text:"[[George Shultz]]"
bar:Baker
  from: 1989 till: 1992 color:Republican text:"[[James Baker]]"
bar:Eagleburger
  from: 1992 till: 1993 color:Republican text:"[[Lawrence Eagleburger]]"
bar:Christopher
  from: 1993 till: 1997 color:Democratic text:"[[Warren Christopher]]"
bar:Albright
  from: 1997 till: 2001 color:Democratic text:"[[Madeleine Albright]]"
bar:Powell
  from: 2001 till: 2005 color:Republican text:"[[Colin Powell]]"
bar:Rice
  from: 2005 till: 2009 color:Republican text:"[[Condoleezza Rice]]"
bar:Clinton
  from: 2009 till: 2013 color:Democratic text:"[[Hillary Clinton]]"
bar:Kerry
  from: 2013 till: 2017 color:Democratic text:"[[John Kerry]]"
bar:Tillerson
  from: 2017 till: 2018 color:Republican text:"[[Rex Tillerson]]"
bar:Pompeo
  from: 2018 till: 2021 color:Republican text:"[[Mike Pompeo]]"
bar:Blinken
  from: 2021 till: 2025 color:Democratic text:"[[Antony Blinken]]"
bar:Rubio
  from: 2025 till: $now color:Republican text:"[[Marco Rubio]]"
}}


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


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


'''Further reading'''
=== Bibliography ===
*Bemis, Samuel Flagg, ed. (1963) ''The American Secretaries of State and Their Diplomacy'' (19 vols.), scholaryly biographies
{{Refbegin}}
*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]].
* {{Cite book |last=Short |first=Lloyd Milton |year=1923 |chapter=Chapter IV: The Department of State |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N12GAAAAMAAJ |title=The Development of National Administrative Organization in the United States |series=Studies in Administration |location=Baltimore, Maryland |publisher=The Institute for Government Research; The Johns Hopkins Press |language=en}} Reprint: {{ISBN|0598686584}}.
*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.&nbsp;290–304.
{{Refend}}
*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
 
== Further reading ==
* Bemis, Samuel Flagg, ed. (1963). ''The American Secretaries of State and Their Diplomacy'' (19 vols.). Scholarly 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). "[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14794010802547935 President Harry Truman's Secretaries of State: Stettinius, Byrnes, Marshall and Acheson"]. ''[[Journal of Transatlantic Studies]]'' vol. 6 no. 3 pp.&nbsp;290–304. {{doi|10.1080/14794010802547935}} (DOI accessed 8 January 2026).
* Mihalkanin, Edward, ed. (2004). ''[https://www.questia.com/read/106788643/american-statesmen-secretaries-of-state-from-john American Statesmen: Secretaries of State]''; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327172244/https://www.questia.com/read/106788643/american-statesmen-secretaries-of-state-from-john |date=March 27, 2020 }} from [[John Jay]] to [[Colin Powell]]. Short scholarly articles by experts.


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


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Latest revision as of 00:35, 24 March 2026


Not to be confused with Secretary of state (U.S. state government).

United States Secretary of State
Seal of the secretary of state
Flag of the secretary of state
Incumbent
Marco Rubio
since January 21, 2025
United States Department of State
StyleMr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable[1] (formal)
His Excellency[2] (diplomatic)
AbbreviationSecState
Member ofCabinet of the United States
United States National Security Council
Reports toPresident of the United States
SeatHarry S Truman Building
Washington, D.C.
AppointerThe president
with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrumentTemplate:UnitedStatesCode
PrecursorSecretary of Foreign Affairs
FormationJuly 27, 1789; 237 years ago (1789-07-27)
First holderThomas Jefferson
SuccessionFourth[3]
DeputyUnited States Deputy Secretary of State
SalaryExecutive Schedule, Level I[4]
Websitestate.gov/secretary

The United States secretary of state (SecState)[5] is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State, equivalent to a minister of foreign affairs.

The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all foreign affairs matters. The secretary carries out the president's foreign policies through the U.S Department of State, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development. The office holder is the second-highest-ranking member of the president's cabinet, after the vice president, and ranks fourth in the presidential line of succession; and is first amongst cabinet secretaries.

Created in 1789 with Thomas Jefferson as its first office holder, the secretary of state represents the United States to foreign countries, and is therefore considered analogous to a secretary or minister of foreign affairs in other countries.[6][7] The secretary of state is nominated by the president of the United States and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is confirmed by the Senate. The secretary of state, along with the secretary of the treasury, secretary of defense, and attorney general, are generally regarded as the four most crucial Cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments.[8]

The secretary of state is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level, $250,600 as of January 2025.[4][9]

History[edit | edit source]

The secretary of state originates from the government under the Articles of Confederation. The Congress of the Confederation established the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1781 and created the office of secretary of foreign affairs.[10] After the Constitution of the United States was ratified, the 1st United States Congress reestablished the department, renaming it the Department of State, and created the office of secretary of state to lead the department.[11][12]

Duties and responsibilities[edit | edit source]

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 diplomats and ambassadors, 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 passports. Doing this, the secretary also ensures the protection of citizens, their property, and interests in foreign countries.[13]

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.

—John Adams[14]

Secretaries of state also have domestic responsibilities. Most of the historical domestic functions of the Department of State were gradually transferred to other agencies by the late 19th century as part of various administrative reforms and restructurings.[15] Those that remain include storage and use of the Great Seal, performance of 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.[13] Under federal law, 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.[16] Accordingly, the resignations of President Richard Nixon and of Vice President Spiro Agnew were formalized in instruments delivered to then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Although they have historically decreased over time, Congress may occasionally add to the responsibilities of the secretary of state. One such instance occurred in 2014, when Congress passed the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act which mandated actions the secretary of state must take in order to facilitate the return of abducted children from nations who are party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.[17]

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 line to succeed the presidency, after the vice president, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the president pro tempore of the Senate.

Six past secretaries of state – Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Van Buren and Buchanan – have gone on to be elected president. Others, including Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Lewis Cass, John C. Calhoun, John M. Clayton, William L. Marcy, William Seward, Edward Everett, Jeremiah S. Black, James Blaine, Elihu B. Washburne, Thomas F. Bayard, John Sherman, Walter Q. Gresham, William Jennings Bryan, Philander C. Knox, Charles Evans Hughes, Elihu Root, Cordell Hull, Edmund Muskie, Alexander Haig, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Marco Rubio have also campaigned as presidential candidates, either before or after their term of office as secretary of state, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The position of secretary of state has therefore been viewed to be a consolation prize for failed presidential candidates.[18]

Timeline of secretaries of state[edit | edit source]

See also: List of United States secretaries of state

The following timeline depicts the progression of the secretaries of state and their political affiliation at the time of assuming office.

Marco RubioAntony BlinkenMike PompeoRex TillersonJohn KerryHillary ClintonCondoleezza RiceColin PowellMadeleine AlbrightWarren ChristopherLawrence EagleburgerJames BakerGeorge ShultzAlexander HaigEdmund MuskieCyrus VanceHenry KissingerWilliam P. RogersDean RuskChristian HerterJohn Foster DullesDean AchesonGeorge C. MarshallJames F. ByrnesEdward Stettinius Jr.Cordell HullHenry L. StimsonFrank B. KelloggCharles Evans HughesBainbridge ColbyRobert LansingWilliam Jennings BryanPhilander C. KnoxRobert BaconElihu RootJohn HayWilliam R. DayJohn ShermanRichard OlneyWalter Q. GreshamJohn W. FosterThomas F. BayardFrederick Theodore FrelinghuysenJames G. BlaineWilliam M. EvartsHamilton FishElihu B. WashburneWilliam H. SewardJeremiah S. BlackLewis CassWilliam L. MarcyEdward EverettJohn M. ClaytonJames BuchananJohn C. CalhounAbel P. UpshurDaniel WebsterJohn Forsyth (politician)Louis McLaneEdward LivingstonMartin Van BurenHenry ClayJohn Quincy AdamsJames MonroeRobert Smith (American cabinet member)James MadisonJohn MarshallTimothy PickeringEdmund RandolphThomas Jefferson

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Protocol Reference". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. ↑ "United Nations Heads of State, Protocol and Liaison Service" (PDF). United Nations. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  3. ↑ "3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act". Cornell Law School. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:UnitedStatesCode.
  5. ↑ "Abbreviations and Terms" (PDF). 2001-2009.state.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs", Protocol and Liaison Service, United Nations. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  7. ↑ NATO Member Countries Archived October 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, NATO. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch" (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.
  9. ↑ "Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule" (PDF). Office of Personnel Management. January 1, 2025. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ Short 1923, pp. 55–56.
  11. ↑ "An Act for establishing an Executive Department, to be denominated the Department of Foreign Affairs". GPO. July 27, 1789. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ "An Act to provide for the Safe-keeping of the Acts, Records, and Seal of the United States, and for other purposes". GPO. September 15, 1789. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Duties of the Secretary of State". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  14. ↑ Ford, Worthington C., ed. (1927). Statesman and Friend: Correspondence of John Adams with Benjamin Waterhouse, 1784–1822. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, and Company. p. 57.
  15. ↑ "Administrative Timeline of the Department of State – Department History – Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  16. ↑ "3 U.S. Code § 20 – Resignation or refusal of office". LII / Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  17. ↑ "H.R.3212 – 113th Congress (2013–2014): Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014". Congress.gov. August 8, 2014. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  18. ↑ Stone, Andrea (August 12, 2014). "Why Do Secretaries of State Make Such Terrible Presidential Candidates?". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

  • Short, Lloyd Milton (1923). "Chapter IV: The Department of State". The Development of National Administrative Organization in the United States. Studies in Administration. Baltimore, Maryland: The Institute for Government Research; The Johns Hopkins Press. Reprint: ISBN 0598686584.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

  • {{URL|example.com|optional display text}}
Template:S-precTemplate:S-prec
Preceded by
Ambassadors from the United States
(while at their posts) 		Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of State 		Succeeded by
Ambassadors to the United States
(in order of tenure)
Preceded by
Otherwise Kamala Harris
as Former Vice-President 		Succeeded by
Otherwise António Guterres
as Secretary-General of the United Nations
Preceded by
President pro tempore of the Senate
Chuck Grassley 		4th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of the Treasury
Scott Bessent
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