Should Presidents be able to issue Executive Orders?

The Presidential “Executive Order” has been used since George Washington, but no mention of it has been found in the constitution. An Executive Order is a Presidential rule that stands in place until it is overturned or rescinded by a President. The idea came from Article II of the Constitution under an umbrella statement of Presidential power and so congress should make it legal, using precise words not an umbrella statement, but put some form of control on it. I believe that the privilege of the Executive Order has been abused by using it to skirt around laws.

Executive Orders were a way for Presidents to get things done quickly, so they didn’t have to go through Congress’ burocasies. Some Executive Orders have worked wonders, like the emancipation proclamation. Some were just bad, as proved by the Japanese-American Incarceration. Only one President, William Henry Harrison, did not issue any. It is uncommon for an Executive Order to be overturned by another branch of the government, although Presidents can revoke or alter orders made by any President.  Modern Presidents, though have been using them as laws they can make.

Many recent Presidents have made more Executive Orders than the way that it was originally used, as a tool for whenever the President needed something done quickly.  Although it is true that President Franklin D Roosevelt used over 3700, George Washington only used eight. Because George H. W. Bush signed 166, Bill Clinton signed 308, George W. Bush signed 291, Barack Obama signed 276, and thus far, Donald Trump has signed 88.  U.S. Presidents are overstepping their bounds, getting as close to making a law as they legally can as President. For example, an Executive Order can remove the budget of a congress-passed initiative.

Because the bounds have never been clearly defined, Presidents have nothing to stop them, from using Executive Orders to effectively make laws. The solution to this is for Congress to write in an amendment that Executive Orders are allowed, BUT, there needs to be a cap on the scope of what they can do. The cap would probably be an Executive Order can only stay an Executive Order for 100 days, unless it is validated by the Supreme Court as not in opposition to the intent of any laws.

The world looks up to the President of the United States like the police chief of the world, whether we like it or not. It does not look good to nations that don’t trust us to have a President signing Executive Orders every day. This is the reason we should limit the power of Executive Orders.