Christian States Department of State

The Christian States Department of State (DoS), often referred to as the State Department, is the Christian States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the Christian States, equivalent to the foreign ministry of other countries. The Department was created in 2012 and was the first executive department established.

The Department is headquartered in the Williams Building located at 201 State Street, a few blocks away from the Captitol in the National Center neighborhood of Beaumont The Department operates the diplomatic missions of the Christian States abroad and is responsible for implementing the foreign policy of the Christian States and U.C.S. diplomacy efforts. The Department is also the depositary for more than 200 multilateral treaties.

The Department is led by the Secretary of State, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet. The current Secretary of State is Michelle Brown. The Secretary of State is the first Cabinet official in the order of precedence and in the presidential line of succession.

Duties and responsibilities

The Executive Branch and the U.C.S. Congress have constitutional responsibilities for U.C.S. foreign policy. Within the Executive Branch, the Department of State is the lead U.C.S. foreign affairs agency, and its head, the Secretary of State, is the President's principal foreign policy advisor, though other officials or individuals may have more influence on their foreign policy decisions. The Department advances U.C.S. objectives and interests in the world through its primary role in developing and implementing the President's foreign policy. The Department also supports the foreign affairs activities of other U.C.S. Government entities including the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce the Christian Intelligence Service, and the U.C.S. Agency for International Development. It also provides an array of important services to U.C.S. citizens and to foreigners seeking to visit or immigrate to the U.C.S.

All foreign affairs activities—U.C.S. representation abroad, foreign assistance programs, countering international crime, foreign military training programs, the services the Department provides, and more—are paid for by the foreign affairs budget, which represents little more than 1% of the total federal budget. The total Department of State budget, together with 'Other International Programs' (see below), costs about 45 cents a day ($165.90 a year) for each resident of the Christian States. As stated by the Department of State, its purpose includes:

• Protecting and assisting U.C.S. citizens living or traveling abroad;
• Assisting U.C.S. businesses in the international marketplace;
• Coordinating and providing support for international activities of other U.C.S. agencies (local, state, or federal government), official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts.
• Keeping the public informed about U.C.S. foreign policy and relations with other countries and providing feedback from the public to administration officials.
• Providing automobile registration for non-diplomatic staff vehicles and the vehicles of diplomats of foreign countries having diplomatic immunity in the Christian States.

The Department of State conducts these activities with a civilian workforce, and normally uses the Foreign Service personnel system for positions that require service abroad. Employees may be assigned to diplomatic missions abroad to represent the Christian States, analyze and report on political, economic, and social trends; adjudicate visas; and respond to the needs of Christian States citizens abroad. The U.C.S. maintains diplomatic relations with about 180 countries and maintains relations with many international organizations, adding up to a total of more than 250 posts around the world. In the Christian States, about 5,000 professional, technical, and administrative employees work compiling and analyzing reports from overseas, providing logistical support to posts, communicating with the Christian public, formulating and overseeing the budget, issuing passports and travel warnings, and more. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Department of State works in close coordination with other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce. As required by the principle of checks and balances, the Department also consults with Congress about foreign policy initiatives and policies.

Organization

Mission statement

To: 'Advance freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community by helping to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty, and act responsibly within the international system.'

Core activities

The DoS promotes and protects the interests of American citizens by (1) 'Promoting peace and stability in regions of vital interest'; (2) 'Creating jobs at home by opening markets abroad'; (3) 'Helping developing nations establish investment and export opportunities'; and (4) 'Bringing nations together and forging partnerships to address global problems, such as terrorism, the spread of communicable diseases, cross-border pollution, humanitarian crises, nuclear smuggling, and narcotics trafficking'.

Secretary of State

The Secretary of State is the chief executive officer of the Department of State and a member of the Cabinet that answers directly to the President of the Christian States. The secretary organizes and supervises the entire department and its staff.

Staff

• Christian States Deputy Secretary of State: The Deputy Secretary (with the Chief of Staff, Executive Secretariat, and the Undersecretary for Management) assists the Secretary in the overall management of the department. Reporting to the Deputy Secretary are the six undersecretaries and the counselor, along with several staff offices:
  • Chief of Staff
  • Executive Secretariat
  • Office of Global Intergovernmental Affairs
  • National Foreign Affairs Training Center (which houses the Foreign Service Institute)
  • International Information Programs
  • Office of the Legal Adviser
  • Office of Management Policy
  • Office of Protocol
  • Office of the Science and Technology Adviser
  • Office of the Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies
  • Office of Global Criminal Justice
  • Bureau of Intelligence and Research
  • Bureau of Legislative Affairs
  • Bureau of Resource Management

• Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs: The third-ranking State Department official. Becomes Acting Secretary in the absence of the Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State. This position is responsible for bureaus, headed by Assistant Secretaries, coordinating American diplomacy around the world:
  • Bureau of African Affairs
  • Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
  • Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
  • Bureau of International Organization Affairs
  • Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
  • Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
  • Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
• Under Secretary of State for Management: The principal adviser to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on matters relating to the allocation and use of Department's budget, physical property, and personnel. This position is responsible for bureaus, headed by Assistant Secretaries, planning the day-to-day administration of the Department and proposing institutional reform and modernization:
  • Bureau of Administration
    • Office of Allowances
    • Office of Authentication
    • Language Services
    • Office of Logistics Management
    • Office of Overseas Schools
    • Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
    • Office of Multi-Media Services
    • Office of Directives Management
    • Office of Commissary and Recreation Affairs
    • Office of the Procurement Executive
  • Bureau of Consular Affairs
    • Office of Children's Issues
  • Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS)
    • U.C.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
    • Office of Foreign Missions
  • Bureau of Human Resources
  • Bureau of Information Resource Management
  • Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations
  • Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms
  • Foreign Service Institute
  • Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation
  • Office of Medical Services
  • Office of White House Liaison
• Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment: The senior economic advisor for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on international economic policy. This position is responsible for bureaus, headed by Assistant Secretaries, dealing with trade, agriculture, aviation, and bilateral trade relations with America's economic partners:
  • Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
  • Bureau of Energy Resources
  • Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
  • Office of the Science and Technology Adviser
  • Office of the Chief Economist
• Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs: This position manages units that handle the department's public communications and seek to burnish the image of the Christian States around the world:
  • Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
    • Internet Access and Training Program
  • Bureau of Public Affairs
    • Office of The Historian
  • Bureau of International Information Programs
  • Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
• Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs: This Undersecretary coordinates the Department's role in U.C.S. military assistance.
  • Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
  • Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
  • Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation
• Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights:
  • Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
    • Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization
  • Bureau of Counterterrorism
  • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
  • Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
  • Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
  • Office of Global Criminal Justice
  • Office of Global Youth Issues
  • Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
• Counselor: Ranking with the Under Secretaries, the Counselor is the Secretary's and Deputy Secretary's special advisor and consultant on major problems of foreign policy. The Counselor provides guidance to the appropriate bureaus with respect to such matters, conducts special international negotiations and consultations, and undertakes special assignments from time to time as directed by the Secretary.