Power Tools for an Effective and Responsible Presidency

Abstract

The Clinton administration has made frequent and significant use of executive orders and other tools that are available to presidents on problems as diverse as the Mexican peso crisis and labor disputes over striker replacements. The tools of presidential direct administration are complex devices that often overlap and pose wide-ranging consequences. This article seeks to present a useful survey and analysis of the basic tools of presidential direct administration and points out the dangers as well as the opportunities presented by these devices.