Which department is in charge of the nation's foreign affairs?

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: