In his first week in office, President Barack Obama exercised unilateral executive power to mandate significant changes in federal policy and practice.
Three executive orders and a presidential memorandum mandate the closing of the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and changes in interrogation and detention practices. Two executive orders and a memorandum reflect the president’s stated commitments to greater government transparency and heightened ethical standards. Another memorandum announces a pay freeze for political appointees in the executive branch. Yet another initiates an investigation into the treatment of a terrorism suspect not held at Guantánamo Bay and thus not covered by the executive orders and memorandum on the treatment of detainees.
