It may come as a surprise given the fuss that was made over Obama's executive orders, and the fuss that is now being made about Trump's, but there is nothing inherently wrong or controversial about this type of presidential action.
Of course, the President of the United States is responsible for managing the executive branch of the federal government and executive orders are simply one way he does this.
The article linked to below has a lot of interesting and useful information about executive orders. Among other things it informs us that they have been used going all the way back to George Washington and include some very famous events in U.S. history. The Emancipation Proclamation, for example, was one of Lincoln's executive orders.
As I suppose everyone knows, the president is granted certain powers by the Constitution. Over the years, the president has also been granted many additional powers by Congress. One way the president exercises these Constitutional and legal powers is by issuing executive orders.
Whenever a president does something the party opposing him doesn't like the action is going to be politically controversial but, as long as the action is within the Constitutional and legal powers given to the president, he is not overstepping his bounds or becoming a “dictator.”
If the Congress or other citizens really believe a president is doing something unconstitutional or illegal the president can be taken to court. In more extreme cases the president could be impeached and removed from office.
Obama, for example, was taken to court over his order shielding millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. A lower court blocked this order and then the Supreme Court deadlocked on the appeal leaving the order blocked.
Now Trump is being taken to court over his “Muslim ban” order.
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According to this article it appears that four federal judges have at least temporarily blocked parts of Trump's controversial executive order.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/trump-refugee-ban-muslim-executive-order.html?_r=0
We will have to see if any or all of these judges declare parts of this order illegal or unconstitutional and therefore permanently cancelled.
With the very inexperienced, erratic, and dangerous Trump in the White House it is comforting that our courts are still doing their job of protecting the people from abuses of government power.
If you have the time or the interest you can read the full text of the “Muslim ban” executive order for yourself by clicking on this link.
Full text of Trump's "Muslim Ban" executive order.
Copyright © 2017 by Joseph Wayne Gadway
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