United States Secretary of State

United States Secretary of State
Post	United States Secretary of State
Body	the
Insigniasize	120
Insigniacaption	Official seal
Flagsize	120
Flagcaption	Official flag
Department	United States Department of State
Incumbent	Antony Blinken
Incumbentsince	January 26, 2021
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal), The Honorable (formal), His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	Cabinet, National Security Council
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	Harry S Truman Building, Washington, D.C.
Nominator	President of the United States
Appointer	President of the United States, with Senate advice and consent
Termlength	No fixed term
Succession	Fourth
Inaugural	Thomas Jefferson
Formation	July 27, 1789
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level I

United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State and the chief diplomat of the Federal government of the United States. The secretary is a principal advisor to the President of the United States on foreign policy and is the first Cabinet official in the presidential line of succession. The position, created in 1789, is analogous to foreign ministers in other nations and is considered one of the most senior and influential roles in the executive branch.

History and establishment

The office was established following the ratification of the United States Constitution, with the 1st United States Congress passing the law that created the Department of Foreign Affairs on July 27, 1789. President George Washington signed the legislation, and the department was renamed the United States Department of State that September. Thomas Jefferson, serving as the United States Minister to France, was appointed by Washington as the first secretary, returning from Paris to assume the role. Key early secretaries, including John Quincy Adams and James Monroe, helped define the nation's early diplomatic stance, navigating conflicts like the Quasi-War and the War of 1812.

Duties and responsibilities

The secretary's primary duty is the formulation and execution of U.S. foreign policy. This involves overseeing the United States Foreign Service, managing diplomatic missions like the U.S. Embassy in London, and negotiating international agreements such as the North Atlantic Treaty. The secretary also serves on the United States National Security Council, advises the president on diplomatic recognition of states like the Holy See, and represents the nation at international forums including the United Nations General Assembly. Additional statutory responsibilities include the custody of the Great Seal of the United States and the publication of official documents like the Foreign Relations of the United States series.

Appointment and succession

The secretary is nominated by the President of the United States and must be confirmed by a majority vote in the United States Senate, as outlined in the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The confirmation process often involves hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In the United States presidential line of succession, the secretary stands fourth, after the vice president, Speaker of the House, and president pro tempore of the Senate. This was notably relevant following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, when Dean Rusk was in the line of succession.

List of secretaries of state

There have been 71 secretaries of state since 1789, serving from the administration of George Washington to that of Joe Biden. The longest-serving was Cordell Hull, who served for nearly 12 years under Franklin D. Roosevelt and was instrumental in founding the United Nations. Other historically significant officeholders include William H. Seward, who negotiated the Alaska Purchase; George C. Marshall, architect of the Marshall Plan; and Henry Kissinger, a central figure in Nixon-era diplomacy like the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

Relationship with the president

The secretary's influence is heavily dependent on their personal relationship with and the confidence of the incumbent president. Some, like John Foster Dulles with Dwight D. Eisenhower or James Baker with George H. W. Bush, were considered principal architects of their administration's foreign policy. Others have seen their role diminished by influential White House advisors or competing agencies like the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, a dynamic evident during the Vietnam War and the Iraq War.

Notable secretaries and legacy

Several secretaries have left an indelible mark on global affairs. John Quincy Adams authored the Monroe Doctrine while serving under James Monroe. Dean Acheson was a key designer of Cold War containment policy and institutions like NATO. Madeleine Albright, the first woman to hold the office, advocated for NATO expansion in the 1990s. The diplomatic breakthroughs of Henry Kissinger during the Cold War, including rapprochement with China, and the modern challenges addressed by Hillary Clinton and Antony Blinken, continue to define the office's critical role in shaping America's global engagement.

Category:United States Secretaries of State Category:1789 establishments in the United States Category:United States Department of State