He Executive Branch and the Congress have constitutional
responsibilities for U.S. foreign policy. Within the Executive Branch,
the Department of State is the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency, and the
Secretary of State is the President's principal foreign policy adviser.
The Department advances U.S. objectives and interests in shaping a
freer, more secure, and more prosperous 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.S.
Government entities including the Department of Commerce and the U.S.
Agency for International Development. It also provides an array of
important services to U.S. citizens and to foreigners seeking to visit
or immigrate to the U.S.
All foreign affairs activities – U.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. This budget is key to
maintaining U.S. leadership, which promotes and protects the interests
of our citizens by:
