Secretary of State

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a senior Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department.

• Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport[?]
• Secretary of State for Defence[?]
• Secretary of State for Education and Skills[?]
• Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs[?]
• Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
• Secretary of State for Health[?]
• Secretary of State for the Home Department (usually referred to as the Home Secretary)
• Secretary of State for International Development
• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Secretary of State for Scotland[?]
• Secretary of State for Trade and Industry[?]
• Secretary of State for Transport[?]
• Secretary of State for Wales
• Secretary of State for Work and Pensions[?]

Obsolete Positions

• Principal Secretary of State[?]
• Secretary of State for the Northern Department
• Secretary of State for the Southern Department
• Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Secretary of State for the Colonies
• Secretary of State for War
• Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
• Secretary of State for India
• Secretary of State for the Royal Air Force
• Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
• Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
• Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs

USA

In the United States federal government, the Secretary of State is responsible for foreign policy.

In the individual states of the United States, the Secretary of State is normally an administrative officer responsible for certifying elections and maintaining corporate registrations. In some states, the Secretary of State handles driver's licenses and license plates and certifies state documents and notaries public. Ordinarily this not a particularly powerful position, but the Secretary of State of Florida played a important role in deciding the outcome of the 2000 Presidental election.