The History of Its Use and Abuse
Less than a month after taking office, President Donald Trump issued 60 Executive Orders, affecting immigration, tariffs, government agencies, freedom of speech, and foreign aid, to mention a few. President Trump is not the first president to use Executive Orders to circumvent Congress, however. The Emancipation Proclamation was an Executive Order issued by Abraham Lincoln. Franklin Roosevelt issued an Executive Order to detain more than 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Harry Truman placed the steel industry under federal control with an Executive Order. And Theodore Roosevelt used Executive Orders to set aside more than 170 million acres of land for public use. This presentation explores the history of presidential Executive Orders and their impact on American society.