Department of State, U.S.

Executive branch of the U.S. government responsible for U.S. foreign affairs and international diplomacy. The mission of the State Department is to “create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.” The State Department is involved in activities that promote these ends in the political, economic, social, health, security, and educational spheres. Its primary responsibility is serving the president by helping to develop and implement foreign policies, but it is engaged in a number of related functions, as well.

Creation and Structure

The executive branch (and, to some extent, the legislative branch) has constitutional responsibility for U.S. foreign policy. Although the president and Congress have the primary duties, the Department of State assists by helping to develop foreign policy and implementing it on the ground. Famous secretaries of state include Thomas Jefferson, William Jennings Bryan, and Henry Kissinger.

The State Department grew out of various groups that existed during the Revolutionary War. The Committee of Correspondence became the Committee for Foreign Affairs in 1777; Congress then replaced it with a Department for Foreign Affairs in 1781, which lasted through the period when the nation was governed by the Articles of Confederation. The modern Department of State was established on September 15, 1789, in an act ratified by Congress and signed by President George Washington.

The Department of State was the first executive department created under the U.S. Constitution. As the senior cabinet officer, the secretary of state became next in the line of succession to the presidency if the president and vice president are incapacitated. Although no secretary of state has gained the presidency this way, some former secretaries of state have been elected president.

The primary responsibility of the secretary of state is to serve as the president's foremost foreign-policy adviser. In this role, the secretary has the responsibility for consolidating information from the entire State Department to help develop cogent policies and diplomatic strategies. The secretary's second duty is the management and administration of the department. The third major task is that of representing the U.S. government abroad. A fourth role (intertwined with the second) is that of representing the State Department's interests within the government.

The secretary is assisted by a deputy, a chief of staff, and an undersecretariat. Six undersecretaries are charged with management of the department's main bureaus. The Bureau of Political Affairs is divided regionally and is responsible for developing bilateral and regional polices and relationships. The Bureau of Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs advises the secretary on international economic issues and policy, handling issues as diverse as trade and aviation. The Bureau of Arms Control and International Security is concerned with issues of nonproliferation (preventing the development of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction), arms control, and political-military affairs. The Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs handles domestic and international outreach. The Bureau of Management handles internal management, including “right-sizing” the department and training personnel. The Bureau of Global Affairs covers diverse areas of worldwide interest, including technology, human rights, and ocean policies. There are also numerous bureaus and offices that report to [Page 202]the secretary directly, such as the Counterterrorism Office. Another such office is that of the Inspector General, which acts as the State Department's internal monitoring organ.

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