United States Department of State

"Department of State" redirects here. For other uses, see Department of State (disambiguation). For the general topic, see Ministry of foreign affairs.

United States Department of State
Seal of the Department of State
Flag of the Department of State

Department of State headquarters
Agency overview
FormedJuly 27, 1789; 235 years ago (1789-07-27)
Preceding agency
  • Department of Foreign Affairs
TypeExecutive department
JurisdictionU.S. federal government
HeadquartersHarry S Truman Building,
Northwest, Washington, D.C., U.S.

38°53′39″N 77°2′54″W / 38.89417°N 77.04833°W / 38.89417; -77.04833
Employees77,880 (total); 13,637 Foreign Service employees
11,799 Civil Service employees
49,923 local employees[1]
Annual budgetUSD 53.068 billion (FY 2023)[2]
Agency executives
Websitestate.gov

The United States Department of State (DOS),[3] or simply the State Department,[4] is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nations, its primary duties are advising the U.S. president on international relations, administering diplomatic missions, negotiating international treaties and agreements, and representing the U.S. at the United Nations.[5] The department is headquartered in the Harry S Truman Building, a few blocks from the White House, in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.; "Foggy Bottom" is thus sometimes used as a metonym.

Established in 1789 as the first administrative arm of the U.S. executive branch, the State Department is considered among the most powerful and prestigious executive agencies.[6] It is headed by the U.S. secretary of state, who reports directly to the U.S. president and is a member of the Cabinet. Analogous to a foreign minister, the secretary of state serves as the federal government's chief diplomat and representative abroad, and is the first Cabinet official in the order of precedence and in the presidential line of succession. The position is currently held by Antony Blinken, who was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 26, 2021, by a vote of 78–22.[7]

As of 2024, the State Department maintains 271 diplomatic posts worldwide, second only to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.[8] It also manages the U.S. Foreign Service, provides diplomatic training to U.S. officials and military personnel, exercises partial jurisdiction over immigration, and provides various services to Americans, such as issuing passports and visas, posting foreign travel advisories, and advancing commercial ties abroad. The department administers the oldest U.S. civilian intelligence agency, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and maintains a law enforcement arm, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

  1. ^ "GTM Fact Sheet" (PDF). U.S. Department of State. May 30, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Department of State. "Congressional Budget Justification: Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs" (PDF). state.gov. US government. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  3. ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (June 18, 2004). "Glossary of Acronyms". 2001-2009.state.gov. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "U.S. Department of State". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on December 30, 1996. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  5. ^ "A New Framework for Foreign Affairs". A Short History of the Department of State. U.S. Department of State. March 14, 2015. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  6. ^ "Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch" (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.
  7. ^ Toosi, Nahal (January 26, 2021). "Blinken confirmed as secretary of State". Politico. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "Global Diplomacy Index – Country Rank". Lowy Institute. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.