Executive Order

Executive orders are presidential policy directives that implement or interpret a statute, constitutional provision, or treaty. These are also regulations issued by a member of the executive branch of the government. An executive order is a written instruction that presidents use to work their way through congressional approval, considered having the same authority as a law. Such executive orders usually impose sanctions, determine legal rights, limit agency discretion, and require immediate compliance. It is also one of the most common “presidential” documents in our modern government, seeming to be an “instant law” while avoiding debate and opposition.