As of:1 Precedence

Overview  What is precedence  Determining precedence  Categories of precedence  Resources 2

What is Precedence ? Precedence is… “The practice of precedence in official life is conducive to smooth relations because it provides simple answers to what might otherwise be difficult questions of rank and formality” - McCaffrey, Innis and Sand

Precedence  Precedence is the foundation of protocol rules and is the common language of protocol  The practice of precedence provides simple answers to complex issues of rank and formality  Recognized system of international courtesy

 Keys to the system: ◆ Seniority, age, position, wealth, tradition and regulation ◆ All can be used to determine precedence  Establishing the “pecking” order – no “equals” among “equals”  Mixing and matching  Consistency and predictability  Flexibility in the system Determining Precedence

Categories of Consideration Each category has structure  Government  International  Business  Community  Family

Government Precedence  Custom and tradition have established the official order of precedence in the United States ◆ Generally based on position, rank, or length of service  General hierarchy: ◆ Elected ◆ Appointed ◆ Government service employees

Government Precedence  Precedence is determined at the d iscretion of the Current Administration  Statute  Creation of New Positions  Abolishment/Reclassification

U.S. Government: Establishment of Department 11Members of the Cabinet (other than the Secretary of State) according to date of establishment of the department, and as added by The President, as follows: Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Energy

U.S. Government: Establishment of Department Continuation: Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security Chief of Staff to the President Director, Office of Management and Budget United States Trade Representative Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director of National Intelligence 12 President Pro Tempore of the Senate Senators (by length of service; when the same, by State's date of admission in the Union, or alphabetically by State)

 Secretary  Deputy Secretary  Undersecretaries  Assistant Secretaries  Deputy Assistant Secretaries Order – within government departments:

 Heads of State ranked by date of office  Heads of Government ranked by date of office  Ambassadors ranked by date of arrival and presentation of credentials (senior person is Dean of the Corps)  Chargés ranked by date of assumption of office Multiple International/Visiting Delegations:

 Order determined by head of delegation  Ambassador always senior, but can yield position to Minister/Secretary  Ask for delegation list in protocol order! Single Foreign/Visiting Delegation:

Precedence Practices – Civilian Leadership  Senate Confirmed Positions (PAS) ◆ Senior civilian leadership ◆ Precedence established by date of appointment ◆ “The Honorable”  Senior Executive Service (SES) Civilians ◆ Precedence determined based on position held, not the SES pay grade

 Once The Honorable, always The Honorable  Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate  Elected officials  Full time members of boards and some commissions  Assistants, Deputy Assistants and Special Assistants to the President The Honorable

Military Precedence  Determined by date of promotion within the ranks  Position can take precedence over rank ◆ Example: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Inter-Service Precedence  Precedence is the same for all services ◆ Active duty precedes Guard, Reserves, and retired of the same rank  Each Service has it’s own precedence list  The Department of Defense (DoD) precedence list is used for joint events

 Army  Marines  Navy  Air Force  Coast Guard Service Precedence

International May include officials from:  Government (all levels)  International trade organizations  Non-governmental organizations  Corporate  Academia  Clergy

Community May include officials from:  Academia  Local government officials  Ecclesiastical  Philanthropical organizations  Local citizens

Business  Determine the structure of the business  An example: ◆ Chairman of the Board ◆ Company President ◆ CEO ◆ Executive Vice President ◆ Senior Vice President ◆ Regional Vice President ◆ Director

Family  VIP without official rank  Spouses generally afforded the same precedence as their spouse at official functions  Widows are accorded same rank as the principals at official functions

Common Practices  Military Retirees – Follow active duty military of the same rank  “Formers” – Follow the rule of seniority Present followed by the person that service “first” and coming forward Example: US Presidents. President Obama is first followed by Carter, Bush, Clinton, Bush Look at the two next examples – which is correct?

Dignitaries at Coretta Scott King Funeral

 State precedence determined by date admitted to the Union ◆ Establishes State flag precedence ◆ Establishes State officials precedence  Only two States admitted on same date ◆ North and South Dakota ◆ Alphabetically Precedence of States

3-Step Formula for Success  Determine which category the individual belongs  Place individuals w/in each category in rank or precedence order  Apply situational consideration (purpose of event and special needs) and desires of the host

 Federal Government  Congress  Military  Clergy  Judiciary  State and local government officials  Foreign government officials  Family members Mixing and Matching:

“Failure to recognize the proper rank and precedence is an insult not only to individuals and their positions, but to the countries they represent.” - Protocol, 25 th Anniversary Edition, The Complete Handbook of Diplomatic, Official and Social Usage by Mary Jane McCaffree, Pauline Innis, Richard M. Sand Precedence

Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address By: Robert Hickey Resources

United States Protocol: The Guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette By: Ambassador Mary Mel French Resources

Protocol: The Authoritative Source, 35th Anniversary Edition Mary Jane McCaffree Pauline Innis, Richard M. Sand Resources

Knowing Precedence is the Foundation to Piecing together the PuzzleCabinetMembers Heads of State Military Ambassador s City Mayor Representatives BusinessLeaders Family Senators