Government 101: What Does the Secretary of State Do?

The United States secretary of state is a member of the president's cabinet who manages foreign relations on behalf of the federal government. The secretary of state sits at the head of the US Department of State, the first cabinet department created under the federal system of government that was adopted in 1789.

The position is nominated by the president and confirmed by a majority vote in the US Senate. Along with secretary of defense and attorney general, it is considered among the most important jobs in the federal government. In other countries, the position is often called a foreign secretary or minister of foreign affairs.

Every presidential administration has had a secretary of state from George Washington onward.

• First secretary of state: George Washington named Thomas Jefferson as the United States's first secretary of state, although the role was briefly filled by John Jay because Jefferson was overseas at the beginning of Washington's term.
• Presidential stepping stone: In the early years of the office, it was considered a stepping stone to the presidency. Many of the nation's first presidents had previously helmed the State Department, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Martin Van Buren.
• A coveted role: Since Van Buren, no secretary of state has gone on to assume the presidency, but it remains a highly coveted position that has been staffed by prominent figures, such as Colin Powell, John Kerry, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Condoleezza Rice.

Today, the secretary of state works out of the Department of State headquarters in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Specific duties that fall to the secretary of state and the State Department include:

1. 1. Managing international relations: The secretary of state oversees the country's relationships with other nations. Much of this business runs through an ambassador, who is assigned to live in a specific country and manage relations with that country's government. The secretary of state also makes routine visits to the White House to interface with the president on all matters involving foreign governments. The secretary also travels internationally to interface directly with leaders of other countries.
2. 2. Negotiating treaties: Under the guidance of the president, the secretary of state may negotiate treaties with foreign countries. Ultimately, these treaties must be approved by the Senate and ratified by the president.
3. 3. Monitoring human rights and trade: As a representative of the United States, the secretary of state is expected to represent American values as they pertain to human rights, sovereignty, education, freedom, and fair trade. They may work in tandem with the Department of Defense to enforce these principles when the president determines them to be within the American national interest.
4. 4. Extraditions and deportations: The secretary of state helps administer the extradition and expulsion of non-American individuals who have citizenship in other countries.
5. 5. Preventing military conflict: In addition to fostering trade and cultural exchange, the State Department strives to avoid armed conflict. An entire division of the State Department is devoted to arms control and international security. The secretary of state is charged with seeking diplomatic solutions with another country's department of foreign affairs so the nations do not need to revert to war.

Most state constitutions provide for a state-level secretary of state to serve alongside a governor, a lieutenant governor, and a state legislature. Certain states refer to themselves as commonwealths, and some of these states—namely Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—call the position secretary of the commonwealth.

A small number of states—including Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii—do not have a secretary of state. Thirty-five states elect the position via state elections, but other states allow the governor or the state legislature the privilege of choosing a secretary of state.

As a statewide officeholder, a Secretary of State manages an executive department within state government. However, the actual duties of America's secretaries of state depend on the state constitution and laws of each particular state.

1. 1. Elections: In most states, the primary role of the secretary of state is to enforce election laws. Topics such as voter registration, campaign finance laws, election administration, and vote certification fall to the Secretary of State as chief elections officer.
2. 2. Uniform Commercial Code: First published in 1952, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) seeks to assimilate state commerce to a common standard throughout the United States. Many secretaries of state must enforce compliance with the UCC among limited liability companies, corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships.
3. 3. Official records: Most states task their secretary of state with keeping and maintaining official documents such as the state constitution, individual laws, and executive orders. In some states, this extends to private business, such as deeds of home sales and marriage licenses. In these states, the secretary of state helps set standards for notaries public who must certify such documents.
4. 4. Address confidentiality program: An address confidentiality program allows qualified persons (such as crime victims) to receive mail at a confidential address that is not their home. States with such a program call upon secretaries of state to administer it.
5. 5. State-specific tasks: Some states task their secretary of state with issuing professional licenses, issuing driver’s licenses, monitoring lobbyists, overseeing financial securities, and even maintaining the state museum.

The National Association of Secretaries of State represents America's secretaries of state and provides a forum to share ideas, collaborate on common initiatives, and lobby the federal government.

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