Taken Together, Executive Agreements and Executive Orders are Designed to Achieve Executive Goals
Executive agreements and executive orders are two tools that the President of the United States has at their disposal to shape policy and achieve their goals. Although the two mechanisms differ in their legal authority and scope, taken together they can be a powerful tool in the executive`s policy arsenal.
Executive Agreements
Executive agreements are a type of international agreement that is not subject to Senate approval. Instead, they are negotiated and signed by the President, and they become legally binding once they are signed. The advantage of an executive agreement is that it can be entered into relatively quickly and without the need for Congressional approval. However, executive agreements are not as durable as treaties and can be terminated by the President or by Congress.
Executive Orders
Executive orders, on the other hand, are directives issued by the President that carry the force of law. They are often used to implement policies that do not require Congressional approval or to clarify the interpretation of existing laws. Executive orders can be challenged in court, and they can be overturned by a subsequent President or by Congress.
Taken Together
Taken together, executive agreements and executive orders can be a powerful tool to achieve the goals of the executive. For example, a President could use an executive order to direct a federal agency to implement a policy. The President could then secure an executive agreement with a foreign government to support that policy.
In recent years, Presidents have used executive orders and executive agreements to advance a range of policy goals. For example, President Obama used executive orders to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided temporary protection from deportation for certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. President Trump, on the other hand, used executive orders to implement a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.
Despite their potential benefits, executive agreements and executive orders are not without controversy. Critics argue that they can be used to bypass the democratic process and that they can be vulnerable to legal challenges. Nonetheless, they remain an important tool for the President to advance their policy goals.
In conclusion, executive agreements and executive orders are two tools that the President of the United States can use to shape policy and achieve their goals. Although the two mechanisms differ in their legal authority and scope, taken together they can be a powerful tool in the executive`s policy arsenal. As copy editors, it`s important to understand these tools to ensure that articles on executive actions are accurate and informative.