By Order of the President: The Use and Abuse of Executive Direct Action” is about indirect presidential power as a means around Congress and the constitution’s balance of power. The means presidents of both parties have resorted to accomplish their goals without legislative review include executive orders, national security directives, proclamations and other devices. Executive orders are directives to executive branch personnel while proclamations are statements that affect all those outside of government.
By these means, presidents have sought to accomplish many worthwhile goals that had broad public support but faced obstacles if pursued through the legislative process set up in the Constitution. Thus, President Harry S. Truman desegregated the armed forces by executive order, not by enactment of legislation. Similarly, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves in the area controlled by the rebel South (but not the northern union), again without legislative approval. President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order to integrate federal housing. Lyndon B. Johnson ordered affirmative action policies in government contracting.
