Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Position in the United States Department of State

United States
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Seal of the United States Department of State

Flag of the United States Department of State

Incumbent
John R. Bass
Acting

since March 22, 2024

United States Department of State
Style| Mr. Under Secretary
Reports to| The Secretary of State[1]
Appointer| The President
with Senate advice and consent
Term length| Appointed
Inaugural holder| Robert D. Murphy
Formation| August 1959
Salary| $183,300 annually[2] (Executive Schedule III)[3]
Website| Official Website

The under secretary of state for political affairs is currently the fourth-ranking position[4] in the United States Department of State, after the secretary, the deputy secretary, and the deputy secretary of state for management and resources. The current acting under secretary is John R. Bass, who assumed the position following the resignation of Victoria Nuland.[5]

The under secretary of state for political affairs is a career Foreign Service officer. This makes the officeholder the highest-ranking member of the United States Foreign Service. The under secretary serves as the day-to-day manager of overall regional and bilateral policy issues, and oversees the bureaus for Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East, South and Central Asia, the Western Hemisphere, International Organizations, and  Counterterrorism. The Under Secretary is advised by Assistant Secretaries of the geographic bureaus, who guide U.S. diplomatic missions within their regional jurisdiction.[6]

The political bureaus were first overseen in 1949 by a deputy under secretary for political affairs. Prior to the creation of the position of under secretary of state for political affairs in August 1959, the deputy under secretary for political affairs assisted the secretary and under secretary of state in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy. After August 1959, the deputy under secretary of political affairs served as a focal point for interdepartmental relations, especially those dealing with politico-military issues. During 1969, the department discontinued the position and created a new Bureau for Politico-Military Affairs, which exists today as the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs under another under secretary.[7][8]

## List of under secretaries of state for political affairs[8]

[edit]

#  | Image  | Name  | State of residency  | Appointment  | Entry on duty  | Termination of appointment

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  | Robert D. Murphy | Wisconsin | August 12, 1959  | August 14, 1959  | December 3, 1959
2  |  | Livingston T. Merchant | District of Columbia | December 1, 1959  | December 4, 1959  | January 31, 1961
3  |  | George C. McGhee | Texas | November 29, 1961  | December 4, 1961  | March 27, 1963
4  |  | W. Averell Harriman | New York | April 4, 1963  | April 4, 1963  | March 17, 1965
5  |  | Eugene V. Rostow | Connecticut | October 13, 1966  | October 14, 1966  | January 20, 1969
6  |  | U. Alexis Johnson | California | February 7, 1969  | February 7, 1969  | February 1, 1973
7  |  | William J. Porter | Massachusetts | February 2, 1973  | February 2, 1973  | February 18, 1974
8  |  | Joseph J. Sisco | Maryland | February 11, 1974  | February 19, 1974  | June 30, 1976
9  |  | Philip Habib | California | June 16, 1976  | July 1, 1976  | April 1, 1978
10  |  | David D. Newsom | California | April 13, 1978  | April 19, 1978  | February 27, 1981
11  |  | Walter J. Stoessel Jr. | California | February 27, 1981  | February 28, 1981  | January 26, 1982
12  |  | Lawrence Eagleburger | Florida | February 11, 1982  | February 12, 1982  | May 1, 1984
13  |  | Michael Armacost | Maryland | May 17, 1984  | May 18, 1984  | March 2, 1989
14  |  | Robert M. Kimmitt | Virginia | March 2, 1989  | March 2, 1989  | August 23, 1991
15  |  | Arnold Kanter | Virginia | October 4, 1991  | October 4, 1991  | January 20, 1993
16  |  | Peter Tarnoff | New York | March 11, 1993  | March 11, 1993  | April 18, 1997
17  |  | Thomas R. Pickering | New Jersey | May 27, 1997  | May 27, 1997  | December 31, 2000
18  |  | Marc Grossman | Virginia | March 23, 2001  | March 26, 2001  | February 25, 2005
19  |  | R. Nicholas Burns | Massachusetts | March 18, 2005  | March 18, 2005  | February 29, 2008
20  |  | William J. Burns | Maryland | February 29, 2008  | May 13, 2008  | July 28, 2011
\-  |  | Thomas A. Shannon Jr.[9]
Acting  | Minnesota | July 28, 2011  | July 28, 2011  | September 21, 2011
21  |  | Wendy Sherman[10] | Maryland | September 21, 2011  | September 21, 2011  | October 2, 2015
22  |  | Thomas A. Shannon Jr.[9] | Minnesota | February 2, 2016  | February 12, 2016  | June 4, 2018
\-  |  | Stephen Mull
Acting  | Pennsylvania | June 5, 2018  | June 5, 2018  | August 29, 2018
23  |  | David Hale | New Jersey | August 28, 2018  | August 30, 2018  | May 3, 2021
24  |  | Victoria Nuland | Virginia | April 29, 2021  | May 3, 2021  | March 22, 2024
\-  |  | John R. Bass
Acting  | New York | March 22, 2024  | March 22, 2024  | Incumbent

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1 FAM 041 Under Secretary for Political Affairs (P)". Foreign Affairs Manual. U.S. Department of State. January 31, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
2. ^ "Pay & Leave: Salaries & Wages". Salary Table No. 2015-EX. United States Office of Personnel Management. January 1, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
3. ^ 5 U.S.C. § 5312.
4. ^ "Senior Officials". U. S. Department of State.
5. ^ "On the Retirement of Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland". U.S. Department of State.
6. ^ "Under Secretary for Political Affairs". Retrieved June 14, 2021.
7. ^ "History of the U.S. Department of State". Retrieved September 20, 2007.
8. ^ a b "Under Secretaries of State for Political Affairs". Retrieved September 20, 2007.
9. ^ a b "State Department gets some nominees, after Cruz clears his roadblock". Washington Post. February 12, 2016.
10. ^ "Biography, Wendy R. Sherman, Under Secretary, Political Affairs". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States of America

* Robert Daniel Murphy
* Livingston T. Merchant
* George C. McGhee
* W. Averell Harriman
* Eugene V. Rostow
* U. Alexis Johnson
* William J. Porter
* Joseph J. Sisco
* Philip Habib
* David D. Newsom
* Walter J. Stoessel Jr.
* Lawrence Eagleburger
* Michael Armacost
* Robert M. Kimmitt
* Arnold Kanter
* Peter Tarnoff
* Thomas R. Pickering
* Marc Grossman
* R. Nicholas Burns
* William J. Burns
* Wendy Sherman
* Thomas A. Shannon Jr.
* Stephen Mull (acting)
* David Hale
* Victoria Nuland
* John R. Bass (acting)

* v
* t
* e

United States Department of State

* Headquarters: Harry S Truman Building

* Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
* Kurt M. Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State
* Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources
* John R. Bass, Acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Deputy Secretary of State and
Deputy Secretary of State for
Management and Resources|

* Office of Foreign Assistance
* Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy
* Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
* Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region

Under Secretary for
Political Affairs|

* Bureau of African Affairs
* Bureau of Counterterrorism
* Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
* Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
* Bureau of International Organization Affairs (United States Mission to the United Nations)
* Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
* Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
* Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs

Under Secretary for Economic
Growth, Energy, and the Environment|

* Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
* Bureau of Energy Resources
* Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
* Office of the Chief Economist
* Office of Global Food Security
* Office of Global Partnerships
* Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary

Under Secretary for Arms Control
and International Security|

* Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance
* Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
* Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
* International Security Advisory Board

Under Secretary for Public
Diplomacy and Public Affairs|

* Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
* Bureau of Global Public Affairs
* Global Engagement Center
* International Expositions Unit
* Office of Global Youth Issues
* Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy
* United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Under Secretary
for Management|

* Bureau of Administration
* Bureau of Budget and Planning
* Bureau of Consular Affairs
* Bureau of Diplomatic Security
* Bureau of Global Talent Management
* Bureau of Information Resource Management
* Bureau of Medical Services
* Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations
* Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services
* Foreign Service Institute (Office of the Historian)
* Office of Foreign Missions
* Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms
* Office of Management Strategy and Solutions
* Office of White House Liaison

Under Secretary for Civilian Security,
Democracy, and Human Rights|

* Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
* Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
* Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
* Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
* Office of Global Criminal Justice
* Office of International Religious Freedom
* Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
* Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Bureaus/Offices reporting
directly to the Secretary|

* Chief of Staff
* Office of the Counselor
* Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy
* Bureau of Intelligence and Research
* Bureau of Legislative Affairs
* Executive Secretariat (Operations Center)
* Policy Planning Staff (Foreign Affairs Policy Board)
* Office of Civil Rights
* Office of Diversity and Inclusion
* Office of Global Women's Issues
* Office of Inspector General
* Office of the Chief of Protocol
* Office of the Legal Adviser
* Office of the Ombudsman
* Office of the Secretary's Special Representative for Syria Engagement
* Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology
* Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs
* Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
* Office of the Special Representative for Venezuela
* Office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority
* Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment
* Iran Action Group
* Foreign Service Grievance Board
* Secretary's Open Forum

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