Executive orders are presidential directives to executive agencies. They have no special constitutional status — they are valid only insofar as they exercise authority Congress has delegated or that Article II grants directly. Recent administrations of both parties have used executive orders to advance immigration policy, regulatory rollbacks, climate action, and student-loan forgiveness — often when Congress is unable to legislate.
Courts increasingly police the boundaries: the "major questions doctrine" (West Virginia v. EPA, 2022) requires clear congressional authorization for sweeping regulatory actions. Biden v. Nebraska (2023) struck down student-loan forgiveness under HEROES Act authority.
Reform proposals include requiring statutory citations and sunset provisions on EOs, congressional review of major orders, and clarifying delegation doctrine.