U.S. State Department

A profile of Gary Locke, U.S. Ambassador to China.

The Chen Guangcheng diplomatic incident threatened to disrupt U.S.-Chinese relations in the first week of May 2012, just as U.S. President Barack Obama was re-orienting American foreign policy interests to deal with Chinese hegemony in the Asia Pacific region, and as the president was officially launching his 2012 re-election campaign.

George C. Marshall, the 50th U.S. Secretary of State, earned a Nobel prize for his humanitarian efforts in rebuilding war-torn Europe.

A brief look at the tenure of Hamilton Fish, 26th U.S. Secretary of State

Elections in Burma signal continued reform in that country and form a central part of Obama's U.S. plan for the Asia Pacific.

U.S. State Department backs a privately funded search to find Amelia Earhart's 1937 crash site.

An update of U.S. efforts in central Africa against Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced a three-step plan for a democratic Syria, but it faces plenty of obstacles.

The collapse of the Qaddafi regime in Libya puts new emphasis on one of the U.S. State Department's major policy components -- conventional weapons nonproliferation.

The U.S. State Department sponsors Sports United, a program that sends American athletes on public diplomacy efforts to foreign countries, and which welcomes foreign athletes to the United States.

Christopher Painter is the U.S. State Department's first Coordinator for Cyber Issues.

Just as the realm of U.S. foreign policy reaches around the globe, it also reaches into cyberspace. In an effort to keep the Internet free, open, and secure, the Obama administration introduced the International Strategy for Cyberspace in May 2011.

The Merida Initiative is a U.S. foreign policy effort with Mexico to combat drug trafficking in Central America.

A brief look at the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report issued by the US State Department.

The U.S. State Department is the foreign ministry of the United States of America. Learn more about its history, leadership, and budget.

Hillary Clinton is the 67th U.S. Secretary of State. Learn more about her background, education and experience.

Richard Holbrooke is the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Obama administration and is a former ambassador to the United Nations and Germany. Learn more about his background, education and experience.

Christopher Hill is an American diplomat who is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. Learn more about his background, education, experience, and sweeping influence on U.S. foreign policy.

Henry Kissinger was U.S. secretary of state and national security adviser for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Learn more about his background, education, experience, and sweeping influence on U.S. foreign policy.

A profile of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Condoleezza Rice was the 66th U.S. Secretary of State. Learn more about her background, education and experience.

Madeleine Albright was the 64th U.S. Secretary of State. Learn more about her background, education and experience.

James A. Baker was the 61st U.S. Secretary of State. Learn more about his background, education and experience.

Zalmay Khalilzad is teh former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush. Learn more about his background, education and experience.

Ambassador John Bolton's recess appointment as U.S. representative to the United Nations has always been controversial. Now it is set to expire. Keith Porter, your About Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy, has more.

The U.S. State Department explains the delay in processing passport applications. Keith Porter--your About Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy--explains.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is implementing an approach to U.S. foreign policy she calls "transformational diplomacy." Learn more about her plan to change the world, from Keith Porter - your About Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy

One of the most important choices the next president will make is nominating a new secretary of state. Who are the leading possibilities? Take the poll.

Dipnote is the official U.S. State Department blog. The authors say it "...offers the public an alternative source to mainstream media for U.S. foreign policy information. This blog offers the opportunity for participants to discuss important foreign policy issues with senior Department officials."

The official Web site of the U.S. State Department.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its subsequent reauthorizations seeks to eliminate modern slavery.