William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

WHAT DO

THE FACTS

S AY?

President Trump’s Executive Orders

Many critics (including then–presidential candidate Donald Trump) argued that

President Obama issued an unprecedented number of executive orders in order to

bypass a Republican Congress that was unsympathetic to his policy proposals. Was

Obama an outlier? How has Trump behaved in office?

• Is there any evidence that Obama issued more executive orders than his
  predecessors?


• How does Trump’s behavior compare to that of Obama and other presidents?

Think about it

Note: Data current as of November 2018.

Source: “Executive Orders Disposition Tables

Index,” Federal Register, http://www.archives.gov

(accessed 11/8/18).

1 01st (1989–1991)

1 02nd ( 1991 – 1993 )

74

92

89

76

88

85

86

53

67

74

73

51

78

86

103rd (1993–1995) 111

104th ( 1995 – 1997 )

105th (1997– 1 999)

1 06th ( 1999 – 2001 )

107th (2001–2003)

108th (2003–2005)

109th (2005–2007)

1 10th ( 2007 –2009)

111th (2009–2011)

1 12th (2011–2013)

1 13th (2013–2015)

114th (2015–2017)

George H. W. Bush

Bill Clinton

George W. Bush

Barack Obama

President Congress Number of executive orders issued

Divided government (president

from one party and at least one

branch of Congress from the other)

Unified government (president

and both branches of Congress

from the same party)

Donald Trump 115th (2017–2019)

Executive Orders Issued by Recent Presidents

The president’s job description 427

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