Undersecretary

Undersecretary

An undersecretary is an executive government official in many countries, frequently a career public servant, who typically acts as a senior administrator or second-in-command to a politically-appointed Cabinet Minister or other government official. The title is used in many different political systems.

United States

In the United States executive branch, an undersecretary is a senior official in a government department, junior to a departmental Secretary such as the Secretary of State. An Undersecretary is typically a career government official, as opposed to a political appointee; they may head specific sub-departments or agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, or be responsible for a specific area of policy within the department, e.g. the Undersecretary for Management within the Department of State.

While the Cabinet Secretary provides vision and direction, undersecretaries run the department and are often considered the political counterpart to a Chief Operating Officer, albeit for a specific branch.

Historical use

Before 1972, "Undersecretary" (also spelled "Under Secretary") signified the senior deputy to a cabinet Secretary, especially of State and Treasury. The Under Secretary would typically be a political appointee. The office of Under Secretary of State was replaced by the Deputy Secretary of State and the office of Under Secretary of the Treasury was replaced by the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.

United Kingdom

The title of Undersecretary is used in two different contexts in the British political system. A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is a junior member of the government, always an MP from the governing party, who is appointed to assist a Secretary of State or other government minister. They rank between a Minister of State and a Parliamentary Private Secretary; the rank is usually seen as a stepping-stone to higher political office. In contrast, a Permanent Undersecretary is a civil servant employed to head part of a government department and oversee the implementation of policy.

Italy

In Italy, Undersecretary is a second-in-command to a politically-appointed Minister. In particular, he/she is appointed with a President of the Republic Decree, on proposal of the Prime Minister, who previously agreed such proposal with the relevant Minister.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, undersecretary is a position created in 2008 to work closely with bureau secretaries and top civil servants to implement the Chief Executive's policy blueprint and agenda in an executive-led government. The appointment of undersecretaries and political assistants is an extension of the Principal Officials Accountability System into today's Political Appointments System. [Mary Ma, [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=66770&sid=19198937&con_type=1&d_str=20080604&sear_year=2008 "It pays to be forward looking"] , "The Standard", June 04, 2008]

Undersecretaries in fiction

In the BBC political drama The State Within, the Undersecretary for Defence Intelligence is one of the major characters. In the popular book series, Harry Potter, by author J.K. Rowling, Dolores Jane Umbridge acts as the Senior Undersecretary to Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge in the 5th installment, Order of the Phoenix. She later serves to Ministers Rufus Scrimgeour and Pius Thicknesse before she is incarcerated for crimes against muggle-borns.

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Undersecretary — Un der*sec re*ta*ry, n. A secretary who is subordinate to the chief secretary; an assistant secretary; as, an undersecretary of the Treasury. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • undersecretary — [un΄dərsek′rə ter΄ē] n. pl. undersecretaries an assistant secretary: in U.S. government, under secretary * * * un·der·sec·re·tar·y (ŭn dər sĕkʹrə tĕr ē) n. pl. un·der·sec·re·tar·ies An official directly subordinate to a member of a cabinet.   un… …   Universalium

  • undersecretary — ► NOUN (pl. undersecretaries) 1) (in the UK) a junior minister or senior civil servant. 2) (in the US) the principal assistant to a member of the cabinet …   English terms dictionary

  • undersecretary — [un΄dərsek′rə ter΄ē] n. pl. undersecretaries an assistant secretary: in U.S. government, under secretary …   English World dictionary

  • undersecretary — UK [ˌʌndə(r)ˈsekrət(ə)rɪ] / US [ˌʌndərˈsekrəˌterɪ] noun [countable] Word forms undersecretary : singular undersecretary plural undersecretaries in the US, an important government official whose rank is below secretary a) in the UK, a junior… …   English dictionary

  • undersecretary — noun Date: 1687 a secretary immediately subordinate to a principal secretary < undersecretary of health > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • undersecretary — noun An administrator immediately subordinate to a head of a government department or to a member of a cabinet …   Wiktionary

  • undersecretary — Synonyms and related words: alderman, archon, bailie, burghermaster, burgomaster, cabinet member, cabinet minister, chancellor, city councilman, city father, city manager, commissar, commissioner, councillor, councilman, councilwoman, county… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • undersecretary — un|der|sec|re|ta|ry [ˌʌndəˈsekrətəri US ˈʌndərˌsekrəteri] n plural undersecretaries 1.) a very important official in a US government department who is one position in rank below the ↑secretary 2.) a minister in a British government department,… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • undersecretary — un|der|sec|re|tar|y [ ,ʌndər sekrə,teri ] noun count in the U.S., an important government official whose rank is below secretary a. in the U.K., a junior government official in a government department b. in the U.K., a senior CIVIL SERVANT… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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