Office of the Secretary of State

Description

President Bartlet directs staff to route Vice President John Hoynes's resignation letter to the Office of the Secretary of State, citing 3 U.S.C. § 20. This cabinet-level office serves as the statutory recipient and routing authority for executive branch resignation documents. Bartlet emphasizes proper procedure during the tense delivery by Claire Huddle, underscoring the office's role in upholding legal protocols amid sudden political transitions.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

2 events
S4E21 · Life on Mars
Claire Delivers Hoynes's Resignation

The Office of the Secretary of State is invoked by Bartlet as the statutory recipient for resignations (3 U.S.C. § 20); it functions here as the legal anchor that transforms a personal communication into formal, routable executive action.

Active Representation

Via institutional protocol cited verbally by the President (legal routing instruction).

Power Dynamics

Represents institutional authority and legal procedure that constrains executive movements; it is not physically present but its protocol governs actions.

Institutional Impact

Invoking the Secretary of State underscores the administration's need to route sudden personnel changes through formal channels, preserving institutional legitimacy amid scandal.

Internal Dynamics

Not directly depicted; implied reliance on bureaucratic routine to absorb an irregular political event.

Organizational Goals
Ensure executive branch resignations are recorded and processed according to statute. Preserve the continuity and legality of office transitions.
Influence Mechanisms
Statutory authority (3 U.S.C. § 20) Administrative processes and official recordkeeping
S4E21 · Life on Mars
The Resignation Letter Delivered

The Office of the Secretary of State is invoked by President Bartlet as the statutory recipient for resignation notices under 3 U.S.C. §20; it is the legal repository and processing authority for the formal transfer of notice.

Active Representation

Represented indirectly via the President's citation of statutory procedure — a bureaucratic actor summoned through law rather than a physical delegate in the scene.

Power Dynamics

Holds procedural authority to accept, record, and certify the resignation; operates above political impulses as an instrument of continuity.

Institutional Impact

Citing the Secretary of State underscores the rule-of-law and the institutional mechanisms that manage executive change, shifting the moment from personal drama to formal governmental procedure.

Internal Dynamics

Operates through set bureaucratic processes and inter-office coordination; not politically reactive but governed by chain-of-custody and record-keeping norms.

Organizational Goals
Ensure the resignation is properly received, recorded, and processed per statute. Preserve institutional continuity and an accurate official record. Act as neutral custodian of formal executive transitions.
Influence Mechanisms
Legal statutes and procedural rules Bureaucratic processing and certification Official channels that lend legitimacy to executive actions

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