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Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (242 words) |
 | The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs is a United Kingdom cabinet position. |
 | It was created in 2003, and was originally intended to supersede the office of Lord Chancellor, with the Lord Chancellor's Department renamed the Department for Constitutional Affairs. |
 | Functions were also transferred from the First Secretary of State, a position within the government currently held by the Deputy Prime Minister. |
| Secretary of State: Information From Answers.com (1901 words) |
 | During a sede vacante, the former Secretary of State (the appointment expires when the pope dies or resigns) assumes some of the functions of the head of state as a part of a temporary commission. |
 | According to the constitution, secretaries of state may be instated and fired by Royal Order (which means by the minister), but in practice these positions are usually created and held for the duration of the cabinet and they can even be used as bargaining chips in coalition negotiations. |
 | In the individual states of the United States, the Secretary of State is an administrative officer responsible for a variety of governmental functions, depending on the constitution and laws of the particular state. |