About This Lesson
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders addressing immigration, foreign affairs, federal spending, and more. But what exactly are executive orders, and how do they fit into our constitutional system?
Executive orders are written policy directives issued by the president to other members of executive branch. They are key tools that allow the president to oversee the executive branch. However, such orders are not explicitly defined in the Constitution and rest on historical practice, executive interpretations, court decisions, and the president’s Article II power to “take care” that the federal laws are executed.
Teach about the explore the president’s constitutional power to issue executive orders with relevant clips from a new We the People podcast, and facilitate classroom discussion with our recommended engagement questions, student choice activities, and related primary sources.
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Constitution in the Headlines is a new collection of curated resources from the National Constitution Center designed to help educators contextualize constitutional topics in the news.
Find shortened, classroom-friendly versions of America’s Town Hall programs, We the People podcasts, or Constitution Daily blog posts that include nonpartisan analysis from experts and constitutional scholars from across the ideological spectrum.
