Secretary of State
Under the Constitution, the President of the United States determines U.S. foreign policy. The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States.
Created in 1789 by the Congress as the successor to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of State is the senior executive Department of the U.S. Government. The Secretary of State’s duties relating to foreign affairs have not changed significantly since then, but they have become far more complex as international commitments multiplied. These duties – the activities and responsibilities of the State Department – include the following:
Serves as the President’s principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy;
Conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs;
Grants and issues passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States;
Advises the President on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives;
Advises the President regarding the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of the representatives of foreign governments;
Personally participates in or directs U.S. representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies;
Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements;
Ensures the protection of the U.S. Government to American citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries;
Supervises the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad;
Provides information to American citizens regarding the political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions in foreign countries;
Informs the Congress and American citizens on the conduct of U.S. foreign relations;
Promotes beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other countries;
Administers the Department of State;
Supervises the Foreign Service of the United States.
In addition, the Secretary of State retains domestic responsibilities that Congress entrusted to the State Department in 1789. These include the custody of the Great Seal of the United States, the preparation of certain presidential proclamations, the publication of treaties and international acts as well as the official record of the foreign relations of the United States, and the custody of certain original treaties and international agreements. The Secretary also serves as the channel of communication between the Federal Government and the States on the extradition of fugitives to or from foreign countries.
国务卿
根据宪法，美国总统决定美国的外交政策。国务卿由总统在参议院的建议和同意下任命，是总统的首席外交事务顾问。国务卿通过国务院和美国外交部执行总统的外交政策。
国务院于 1789 年由国会创建，作为外交部的继任者，是美国政府的高级行政部门。自那时以来，国务卿在外交事务方面的职责没有发生重大变化，但随着国际承诺的增加，这些职责变得更加复杂。这些职责——国务院的活动和职责——包括以下内容：
担任总统的美国外交政策首席顾问；
进行有关美国外交事务的谈判；
向美国公民颁发护照，向外国驻美国领事颁发护照；
就任命美国大使、部长、领事和其他外交代表向总统提供建议；
就接受、罢免和罢免外国政府代表向总统提供建议；
亲自参加或指导美国代表参加国际会议、组织和机构；
谈判、解释和终止条约和协议；
确保美国政府对美国公民、财产和外国利益的保护；
监督美国海外移民法的执行；
向美国公民提供有关外国政治、经济、社会、文化和人道主义状况的信息；
向国会和美国公民通报美国对外关系的行为；
促进美国与其他国家之间的有益经济往来；
管理国务院；
监督美国的外交事务。
此外，国务卿保留国会在 1789 年委托给国务院的国内职责。 其中包括美国国玺的保管、某些总统公告的准备、条约和国际法案的公布以及美国对外关系的官方记录，以及某些原始条约和国际协议的保管。国务卿还充当联邦政府与各州之间关于将逃犯引渡到外国或从外国引渡的沟通渠道。
