The under secretary of state for political affairs is currently the fourth-ranking position in the United States Department of State, after the secretary, the deputy secretary, and the deputy secretary of state for management and resources.
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 and International Organizations. The under secretary is advised by assistant secretaries of the geographic bureaus, who guide U.S. diplomatic missions within their regional jurisdiction.
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.
List of under secretaries of state for political affairs #ImageNameState of residencyAppointmentEntry on dutyTermination of appointment1Robert D. MurphyWisconsinAugust 12, 1959August 14, 1959December 3, 19592Livingston T. MerchantDistrict of ColumbiaDecember 1, 1959 December 4, 1959January 31, 19613George C. McGheeTexasNovember 29, 1961December 4, 1961March 27, 19634W. Averell HarrimanNew YorkApril 4, 1963April 4, 1963March 17, 19655Eugene V. RostowConnecticutOctober 13, 1966October 14, 1966January 20, 19696U. Alexis JohnsonCaliforniaFebruary 7, 1969February 7, 1969February 1, 19737William J. PorterMassachusettsFebruary 2, 1973February 2, 1973February 18, 19748Joseph J. SiscoMarylandFebruary 11, 1974February 19, 1974June 30, 19769Philip HabibCaliforniaJune 16, 1976July 1, 1976April 1, 197810David D. NewsomCaliforniaApril 13, 1978April 19, 1978February 27, 198111Walter J. Stoessel Jr.CaliforniaFebruary 27, 1981February 28, 1981January 26, 198212Lawrence EagleburgerFloridaFebruary 11, 1982February 12, 1982May 1, 198413Michael ArmacostMarylandMay 17, 1984May 18, 1984March 2, 198914Robert M. KimmittVirginiaMarch 2, 1989March 2, 1989August 23, 199115Arnold KanterVirginiaOctober 4, 1991October 4, 1991January 20, 199316Peter TarnoffNew YorkMarch 11, 1993March 11, 1993April 18, 199717Thomas R. PickeringNew JerseyMay 27, 1997May 27, 1997December 31, 200018Marc GrossmanVirginiaMarch 23, 2001March 26, 2001February 25, 200519R. Nicholas BurnsMassachusettsMarch 18, 2005March 18, 2005February 29, 200820William J. BurnsMaryland February 29, 2008May 13, 2008July 28, 2011 -Thomas A. Shannon Jr.ActingMinnesota July 28, 2011July 28, 2011September 21, 201121Wendy ShermanMaryland September 21, 2011September 21, 2011October 2, 201522Thomas A. Shannon Jr.Minnesota February 2, 2016February 12, 2016June 4, 2018 -Stephen MullActingPennsylvania June 5, 2018June 5, 2018August 29, 201823David HaleNew Jersey August 28, 2018August 30, 2018May 3, 202124Victoria NulandVirginiaApril 29, 2021 May 3, 2021March 22, 2024 -John R. BassActingNew YorkMarch 22, 2024March 22, 2024January 20, 2025 -Lisa D. KennaActingVermontJanuary 20, 2025January 20, 2025June 5, 202525Allison HookerGeorgiaJune 3, 2025June 5, 2025Incumbent
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