Which of the following are the two most critical responsibilities of the Texas Secretary of State quizlet?

Under the Constitution, the President of the United States determines U.S. foreign policy. The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States.

Created in 1789 by the Congress as the successor to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of State is the senior executive Department of the U.S. Government. The Secretary of State’s duties relating to foreign affairs have not changed significantly since then, but they have become far more complex as international commitments multiplied. These duties – the activities and responsibilities of the State Department – include the following:

  • Serves as the President’s principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy;
  • Conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs;
  • Grants and issues passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States;
  • Advises the President on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives;
  • Advises the President regarding the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of the representatives of foreign governments;
  • Personally participates in or directs U.S. representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies;
  • Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements;
  • Ensures the protection of the U.S. Government to American citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries;
  • Supervises the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad;
  • Provides information to American citizens regarding the political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions in foreign countries;
  • Informs the Congress and American citizens on the conduct of U.S. foreign relations;
  • Promotes beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other countries;
  • Administers the Department of State;
  • Supervises the Foreign Service of the United States.

In addition, the Secretary of State retains domestic responsibilities that Congress entrusted to the State Department in 1789. These include the custody of the Great Seal of the United States, the preparation of certain presidential proclamations, the publication of treaties and international acts as well as the official record of the foreign relations of the United States, and the custody of certain original treaties and international agreements. The Secretary also serves as the channel of communication between the Federal Government and the States on the extradition of fugitives to or from foreign countries.

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The Texas Secretary of State is one of six officials named in the Texas Constitution forming the Executive Department of the state. The secretary is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate.

Elections Division

The Elections Division is responsible for administering the Texas Election Code, the "law of the land" for Texas voters, elections, voting systems, candidates, and political parties. The Elections Division also maintains more than 16 million voter registration records on behalf of the State.

To educate future Texas voters, the Division administers Project V.O.T.E. (Voters of Tomorrow through Education). Project V.O.T.E. is a curriculum taught to students K - 12 throughout Texas to educate young Texans about the electoral process and to encourage them to vote in the future.

Business and Public Filings Division: The State's "giant filing cabinet"

The Business and Public Filings Division consists of four different sections. These sections maintain filings and records related to Texas corporations, financial and banking transactions, executive branch commissions, legislative mandates, and other public organizations. For instance, if a Texan wants to form a corporation, he or she must file articles of incorporation and other information with the agency. If you are an athlete agent, the owner of a health spa, or an automobile club doing business in Texas, you must be registered with the Secretary of State.

The "Texas Register," a weekly administrative law journal that publishes a myriad of official state rules, meetings, opinions and proclamations, is published by this division. And, if you want to use the State Seal of Texas for a commercial purpose, the Secretary of State must first give permission.

Additional Duties

The Secretary of State's Office is charged with two additional responsibilities not contained in the Texas Constitution. By executive order, the Secretary of State serves as the governor's lead liaison for Texas Border and Mexican Affairs. In this capacity, the secretary manages an array of issues that involve the Texas-Mexico border and Texas' relations with Mexico.

Additionally, through an executive order the secretary is directed to serve as the state's chief international protocol officer. In this role, the secretary receives international dignitaries and delegations on behalf of the governor and the State of Texas and represents the governor and the State of Texas at meetings and events with members of the international diplomatic corps.

For more information on these activities, please visit the Texas Border and Mexican Affairs-International Protocol section of this web site.

Texas State Seal

"There shall be a Seal of the State, which shall be kept by the Secretary of State, and used by him officially under the direction of the governor. The Seal of the State shall be a star of five points, encircled by olive and live oak branches, and the words, 'The State of Texas'."

Texas Constitution, article IV, section 19
August 27, 1945

Since revolutionary times, Texas has chosen the lone star as its symbol. The Texas Provisional Government adopted an emblem of "a single star of five points, either of gold or silver" for the Republic of Texas on March 12, 1836, 10 days after declaring independence from Mexico.

This emblem provided the basis for the first Texas seal, which in two years would take the form we recognize today. This simple and graceful design adorns both the original and new portions of our capitol building.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas proposed a design for the reverse of the state seal. The design was adopted by the Legislature on August 26, 1961. The design for the reverse side of the State Seal of Texas consists of a shield, the lower half of which is divided into two parts.

On the shield's lower left is a depiction of the cannon of the Battle at Gonzales; on the shield's lower right is a depiction of Vince's Bridge; on the upper half of the shield is a depiction of the Alamo. Live oak and olive branches, and the unfurled flags of the Kingdom of France, the Kingdom of Spain, the United Mexican States, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America circle the shield. The reverse of the state seal now appears in color on the floor of the underground rotunda in the Capitol extension.

The state seal is required by law to be affixed to numerous documents, such as commissions for elected and appointed state and local officials; patents for land from the state, executive acts of the governor and all official documents issued from the Office of the Secretary of State. By law, the state seal also appears on gold and silver state coins, the Texas Distinguished Service Medal, and all state aircraft except those used for law enforcement purposes.

Which of the following are duties of the secretary of state quizlet?

What does the Secretary of State do? Gives advice to the president about foreign relations. Secretary of State also meets with foreign leaders and works on building our relationships with other countries.

What is the primary task of Texas Secretary of State quizlet?

The attorney general in Texas is responsible for overseeing the registration of voters. The secretary of state in Texas is responsible for redrawing legislative districts every ten years.

Which of the following is the responsibility of the Texas Workforce Commission quizlet?

Federal. Which of the following is the responsibility of the Texas Workforce Commission? Operates the workers compensation program that assists workers injured on the job.

How is the Secretary of State selected in Texas quizlet?

Lower-level officials like the secretary of state and members of various boards and commissions are appointed by the governor. In the Texas political universe, the secretary of state is the highest-ranking official appointed by the governor (with senate approval) rather than elected by the voters.