What Are U.S. Executive Orders?

Newly inaugurated American President Donald Trump yesterday signed dozens of what are known as executive orders which are forms of presidential decisions that do not require approval of the American Congress.

Here are a few sites that explain what executive orders are and how they fit into the American legal system:

• Executive Orders and Presidential Transitions (Congressional Research Service, July 30, 2024): "Since at least the Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the concept of a President’s first “100 days” has been a touchstone for evaluation of presidential effectiveness and places at least some pressure on incoming Administrations to act quickly on their campaign commitments and other priorities. Executive orders have developed into one of the most expedient tools available to a new President to change federal policies, priorities, and operations, including during that closely watched early window. Concerns about the volume, timing, and content of executive orders, therefore, may be heightened during presidential transitions. In particular, it appears that both incoming and outgoing Administrations may use executive orders to establish preferred policies closer to Inauguration Day than could be accomplished through laws or regulations. When the incoming and outgoing Presidents are members of different political parties, this  perception may be especially strong."
• Executive Orders: An Introduction (Congressional Research Service, March 29, 2021): "Executive orders are written instruments through which a President can issue directives to shape policy. Although the U.S. Constitution does not address executive orders and no statute grants the President the general power to issue them, authority to issue such orders is accepted as an inherent aspect of presidential power, though their legal effect depends on various considerations."
• Executive Orders and Other Presidential Documents: Sources and Explanations (Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C., May 2, 2019)