The executive order in the United States: a policy tool used that has shaped environmental policy and decisions from Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama

What role does the executive order play in policy regarding environmental issues? This has become an important question during President Obama’s Administration. There has been concern about the overuse of executive orders to implement public policy. In policy areas such as immigration and gun control, President Obama has considered the use of the executive order as a mean to move policy forward on his agenda that has been stalled in Congress. A public discussion ensued on the use of executive orders that is not new in the policy literature. To address this research question, executive orders on environmental issues from Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama are examined to determine both use of the order as a policy tool, and the significance and tone of the order. Results show that presidents are using environmental executive orders routinely over the decades but not in a manner that targets a specific environmental issue, location, term of office, or focuses on a particularly environmentally-oriented agency. Results show that certain presidents do display a pro-environmental tone in their orders which is unrelated to the ideology or political party affiliation of the president or environmental issue involved. In conclusion, orders classified as having major significance in terms of policy content tend to have a pro-environmental tone. Most likely, presidents will continue to the use the executive order to protect the environment. The conclusion is that environmental policies are impacted by the unilateral action of executive orders.