Executive Orders And the Modern Presidency: Legislating from the Oval Office

Desegregating the military. Interring Japanese Americans. Limiting stem-cell research. Each of these actions has been accomplished by way of executive order - bypassing the legislative process. Adam Warber offers an in-depth look at how modern presidents use this weapon in their arsenal of authority. Warber systematically analyzes the strategic nature of close to 5,500 executive orders issued since 1936. Have presidents increasingly relied on executive orders to initiate major policies, rather than to simply accomplish routine administrative goals? What key elements in the political environment might influence activity in this sphere? What crafting strategies do presidents use to legitimate their orders and minimize challenges from Congress and the federal judiciary? Addressing these and other key questions, "Executive Orders and the Modern Presidency" explores the multiple dimensions of the president's executive-order power.