United States Foreign Service in the context of "Consul (representative)"

The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for gathering data for business and governmental decision making, establishing industrial standards, catalyzing economic development, promoting foreign direct investment, and safeguarding national economic security.

The Department of Commerce is one of four federal agencies authorized to appoint personnel in the United States Foreign Service, and its NOAA Corps — formerly the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps — is one of the eight branches of the uniformed services of the United States. During a large-scale disaster or catastrophe, it assumes the coordinating responsibilities for the economic recovery support function under the national disaster recovery framework. Since 2023, it has led U.S. government activities related to safe artificial intelligence development and, from 1913 to 1939, it managed the National Aquarium.

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the United States federal government's primary training institution for members of the U.S. foreign service community, preparing American diplomats as well as other professionals to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives overseas and in Washington. FSI provides more than 800 courses—including up to 70 foreign languages—to more than 225,000 enrollees a year from the U.S. Department of State and more than 50 other government agencies and the military service branches. FSI is based at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia.

The institute's programs include training for the development of all cadres of the U.S. Department of State, including United States Foreign Service, Civil Service, and Locally Employed staff, who serve at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas as well as in domestic offices. Ranging in length from one day to two years, courses are designed to equip foreign affairs professionals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to achieve U.S. foreign policy priorities, to promote successful performance in each professional assignment, to assist in navigating international transitions, and to enhance the leadership and management capabilities of the U.S. foreign affairs community. Other courses and resources help family members prepare for the demands of a mobile lifestyle and living abroad, and provide employees and their families with important information about such critical and timely topics as emergency preparedness and cyber-security awareness, among others.

A Foreign Service officer (FSO) is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. FSOs formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. They spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic missions, though some receive assignments to serve at combatant commands, Congress, and educational institutions such as the various U.S. service academies.

As of 2021, there were over 8,000 FSOs.

The Foreign Affairs Policy Board is an advisory board that provides independent advice and opinion to the secretary of state, the deputy secretary of state, and the director of policy planning on matters concerning U.S. foreign policy. The board reviews and assesses global threats and opportunities, trends that implicate core national security interests, tools and capacities of the civilian foreign affairs agencies, and priorities and strategic frameworks for U.S. foreign policy. The board meets in a plenary session several times a year at the U.S. Department of State in the Harry S. Truman Building.

Benjamin Sumner Welles III (October 14, 1892 – September 24, 1961) was an American government official and diplomat. He was a major foreign policy adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as Under Secretary of State from 1936 to 1943, during Roosevelt's presidency.

Born in New York City to a wealthy, well-connected political family, Welles graduated from Harvard College in 1914. He entered the Foreign Service at the advice of Franklin Roosevelt, who was a family friend. Welles was excited by Woodrow Wilson's ideas about how American principles could reorder the international system based on liberal democracy, free-trade capitalism, international law, a league of nations, and an end to colonialism.

The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) is the school of international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It grants degrees at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Founded in 1919, SFS is the oldest continuously operating school for international affairs in the United States, predating the U.S. Foreign Service by six years.

SFS was established by Edmund A. Walsh with the goal of preparing Americans for various international professions in the wake of expanding U.S. involvement in world affairs after World War I. Today, the school hosts a student body of approximately 2,250 from over 100 nations each year. It offers an undergraduate program based in the liberal arts, which leads to the Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree, as well as eight interdisciplinary graduate programs.

The United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, formally the ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St James's, is the official representative of the president and the United States government to the British monarch (the Court of St James's) and the government of the United Kingdom. The position is currently held by Warren Stephens, who presented his credentials to King Charles III on May 21, 2025.

The position is regarded as one of the most prestigious posts in the United States Foreign Service due to the "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom. The ambassadorship has been held by various notable politicians, including five who would later become president: John Adams, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan. However, the modern tendency of American presidents (of both parties) is to appoint keen political fundraisers from previous presidential campaigns, despite the importance and prestige of the office.

John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. Initially a member of the Republican Party, he also served as the Chairman of the House Republican Conference from 1969 until 1979. In 1980, he ran an independent campaign for president, receiving 6.6% of the popular vote.

Born in Rockford, Illinois, Anderson practiced law after serving in the Army during World War II. After a stint in the United States Foreign Service, he won election as the State's Attorney for Winnebago County, Illinois. He won election to the House of Representatives in 1960 in a strongly Republican district. Initially one of the most conservative members of the House, Anderson's views moderated during the 1960s, particularly regarding social issues. He became chairman of the House Republican Conference in 1969 and remained in that position until 1979. He strongly criticized the Vietnam War as well as President Richard Nixon's actions during the Watergate scandal.

Title 22 of the United States Code outlines the role of foreign relations and intercourse in the United States Code.

• 22 U.S.C. ch. 1—Diplomatic and Consular Service Generally
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 2—Consular Courts
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 3—United States Court for China
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 4—Passports
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 5—Preservation of Friendly Foreign Relations Generally
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 6—Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Officers
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 7—International Bureaus, Congresses, Etc.
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 8—Foreign Service Buildings
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 9—Foreign Wars, War Materials, and Neutrality
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 10—Hemispheral Relations
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 11—Foreign Agents and Propaganda
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 12—Claims Commissions
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 13—Service Courts of Friendly Foreign Forces
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 14—Foreign Service
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 14A—Foreign Service Information Officers Corps
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 15—The Republic of the Philippines
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 16—Greek and Turkish Assistance
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 17—Relief Aid to War-Devastated Countries
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 18—United States Information and Educational Exchange Programs
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 19—Foreign Assistance Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 20—Mutual Defense Assistance Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 20A—Mutual Defense Assistance Control Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 21—Settlement of International Claims
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 21A—Settlement of Investment Disputes
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 22—Mutual Security Assistance
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 23—Protection of Citizens Abroad
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 24—Mutual Security Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 24A—Middle East Peace and Stability
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 25—Protection of Vessels on the High Seas and in Territorial Waters of Foreign Countries
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 26—Armed Forces Participation in International Amateur Sports Competitions
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 27—International Cultural Exchange And Trade Fair Participation
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 28—International Atomic Energy Agency Participation
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 29—Cultural, Technical, And Educational Centers
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 29A—Inter-American Cultural and Trade Center
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 30—International Cooperation in Health and Medical Research
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 31—International Travel
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 31A—National Tourism Organization
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 32—Foreign Assistance
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 33—Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 34—The Peace Corps
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 35—Arms Control and Disarmament
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 36—Migration and Refugee Assistance
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 37—Foreign Gifts and Decorations
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 38—Department of State
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 39—Arms Export Control
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 40—International Expositions
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 41—Study Commission Relating to Foreign Policy
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 42—International Economic Policy
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 43—International Broadcasting
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 44—Japan-United States Friendship
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 45—Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 46—International Investment And Trade In Services Survey
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 46A—Foreign Direct Investment And International Financial Data
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 47—Nuclear Non-Proliferation
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 48—Taiwan Relations
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 49—Support of Peace Treaty Between Egypt and Israel
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 50—Institute for Scientific and Technological Cooperation
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 51—Panama Canal
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 52—Foreign Service
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 53—Authorities Relating to the Regulation of Foreign Missions
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 53A—Disposition of Personal Property Abroad
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 53B—Foreign Relations of the United States Historical Series
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 54—Private Organization Assistance
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 55—Research and Training for Eastern Europe and Independent States of Former Soviet Union
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 56—United States Institute of Peace
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 57—United States Scholarship Program for Developing Countries
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 58—Diplomatic Security
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 59—Fascell Fellowship Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 60—Anti-Apartheid Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 61—Anti-Terrorism—PLO
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 62—International Financial Policy
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 63—Support for East European Democracy (SEED)
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 64—United States Response to Terrorism Affecting Americans Abroad
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 65—Control and Elimination of Chemical and Biological Weapons
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 66—United States-Hong Kong Policy
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 67—Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 68—Demilitarization of Former Soviet Union
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 68A—Cooperative Threat Reduction with States of Former Soviet Union
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 69—Cuban Democracy
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 69A—Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad)
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 70—Mansfield Fellowship Program
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 71—United States International Broadcasting
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 72—Nuclear Proliferation Prevention
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 73—International Religious Freedom
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 74—Foreign Affairs Agencies Consolidation
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 75—Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 76—Assistance to Countries With Large Populations Having HIV/AIDS
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 77—United States-China Relations
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 78—Trafficking Victims Protection
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 79—Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 80—Diplomatic Telecommunications Service Program Office (DTS-PO)
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 81—International Criminal Court
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 82—Afghanistan Freedom
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 83—United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 84—Millennium Challenge
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 85—North Korean Human Rights
• 22 U.S.C. ch. 86—Climate Change Technology Deployment in Developing Countries