By Order of George W. Bush: The Unilateral Directives of a Unilateralist President

Abstract

This article examines George W. Bush’s unilateral presidential directives, including executive orders, proclamations, and executive memoranda. It seeks to ascertain whether his use of such directives was as radical as his critics claimed and whether it was in keeping with that of previous presidents or departed from established practices. I divide Bush’s more noteworthy directives into three categories (regular, rare, and remarkable), and I consider several directives within each category. I find that while some of Bush’s unilateral directives were radically new and controversial both politically and constitutionally, many of his directives were based on earlier presidents’ precedents.