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| − | The '''United States Department of State''' (or '''State Department''') is a Cabinet-level agency of the [[United States]] government that deals with foreign affairs. The DoS falls under the [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]]'s administration. Their headquarters is located in the Harry S Truman Building in Washington, DC. The current Secretary of State is [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]].
| + | Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? |
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| − | Its nickname is '''Foggy Bottom,''' a reference to its neighborhood in Washington, with a hint of muddled foggyness.
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| − | ==History==
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| − | see [[American foreign policy]] for a detailed history
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| − | Shortly after the [[U.S. Constitution|Constitution]] was created it became clear that the President would need an executive department to support his foreign affairs.
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| − | On July 21, 1789 the House of Representatives and Senate established a '''Department of Foreign Affairs'''. On July 27 of that year, President [[George Washington]] signed the legislation into law making the Department of Foreign Affairs the first federal agency. Later that year the name was changed to the present name of Department of State.
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| − | ==Presidential control==
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| − | The history of [[American foreign policy]] shows periods of presidential control and periods where the State Department shaped policy.
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| − | The White House ran policy under [[Theodore Roosevelt]] (1901-1909), [[Woodrow Wilson]] (1913-21), [[Franklin Roosevelt]] (1933-45)<ref> During the war Roosevelt worked through [[Harry Hopkins]]. In 1939, Secretary Cordell Hull complained, "Roosevelt …doesn't consult me or confide in me and I have to feel my way in the dark." Hull ''Memoirs of Cordell Hull'', (1948), pg. 1227.</ref>, [[Lyndon Johnson]] (1963-69), [[Richard Nixon]] (1969-74), and [[Ronald Reagan]] (1981-89).
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| − | The State Department was in charge during the presidencies of [[Warren Harding]] (1921-23), [[Calvin Coolidge]] (1923-29), [[Herbert Hoover]] (1929-33), [[Harry Truman]] (1945-53)<ref>[[Dean Acheson]] was the main policy maker.</ref> and [[Dwight Eisenhower]] (1953-61).
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| − | ==Past Responsibilities==
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| − | *Management of the [[United States Mint]] - now under the [[Department of the Treasury]]
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| − | *Keeper of the [[Great Seal of the United States]] - now directly under the Secretary of State
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| − | *Taking census - now under the [[Department of Commerce]]
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| − | ==Current Responsibilities==
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| − | The Department of State develops and implements the [[President of the United States of America|President]]'s foreign policy around the world. The DoS also supports other U.S. Government agencies that are active in foreign affairs, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
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| − | The purpose of the Department of State includes:
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| − | *Protecting and assisting U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad
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| − | *Assisting U.S. business in the international marketplace
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| − | *Coordinating and supporting U.S. agencies in the international activities and official overseas visits.
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| − | *Keeping the public informed about U.S. foreign policy
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| − | ==Further reading==
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| − | * Dorman, Shawn. ''Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for America'' (2nd ed. 2005) [http://www.amazon.com/Inside-U-S-Embassy-Foreign-Service/dp/0964948826/ref=pd_cp_b_1 excerpt and text search]
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| − | * Findling, John E. ed. ''Dictionary of American Diplomatic History'' 2nd ed. 1989. 700pp; 1200 short articles.
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| − | * Flanders, Stephen A, and Carl N. Flanders. ''Dictionary of American Foreign Affairs'' (1993) 835 pp, short articles
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| − | * Herring, George C. ''From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776'' (Oxford History of the United States) (2008), 1056pp; the latest survey. [http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Superpower-Foreign-Relations-History/dp/0195078225/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238879749&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
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| − | * Plischke, Elmer. ''U.S. Department of State: A Reference History'' (1999) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/us-department-of-state-a-reference-history-by-elmer-plischke.jsp online edition], a comprehensive history to the present
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| − | * Plischke, Elmer. ''United States diplomats and their missions: A profile of American diplomatic emissaries since 1778'' (1975)
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | ==External link==
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| − | *U.S. State Department [http://www.state.gov/s/inr/ Bureau of Intelligence and Research]
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| − | *U.S. State Department [http://www.state.gov/ homepage]
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| − | [[category:United States]]
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| − | [[category:United States History]]
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| − | [[category:Diplomacy]]
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Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
