As a matter of policy, the foreign policy of the US government and the financial support of developing countries are inseparable in the job description of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Under the general foreign-policy guidance of the US Secretary of State, the independent agency has the mission of expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of individuals in undeveloped and crisis-ridden areas of the world. USAID provides expertise and funding for projects in agriculture, democracy, economic growth, the environment, education, governance, global partnerships, health, and humanitarian assistance.