Executive order
Definition
An executive order is a signed, written directive from the president to federal agencies and officials, published in the Federal Register. It carries the force of law within the executive branch without a vote in Congress, as long as it is grounded in power the Constitution or an existing statute gives the president.
Why it matters
Executive orders let a president act fast and unilaterally, but that speed cuts both ways: because no statute created them, the next president can revoke or rewrite them just as unilaterally, and courts can strike them down if they exceed the president's actual legal authority.
Seen in the wild
Executive Order 12866, issued by President Clinton in September 1993, still governs how the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reviews significant federal agency rules before they take effect.1