Context

An executive order is a directive issued by the President of the United States that has the same practical effect as federal law.  American presidents throughout history have used this tool to advance policy priorities that were considered to be unachievable through conventional legislative processes.  While executive orders can have an impact in the short-term, they are often reversed by successive administrations from the opposing party when returning to power.

The use of executive orders used to be rare.  John Adams and James Madison, for example, each issued only one during their respective stints in the White House.  By contrast, President Clinton issued 364, President George W. Bush  291, President Obama 276, and President Trump 220.  To date, President Biden has issued 104 executive orders despite having Democratic majorities in the House of  Representatives and the Senate.

The possible return to Republican control of the the House and Senate will have a dramatic impact on President Biden's ability to advance his policy agenda in the remaining two years of his terms.  Will he turn to executive orders to circumvent Congress in the months ahead?

Resolution Criteria

This question will resolve positively if President Biden issues 120 new executive orders between November 1, 2022 and January 20, 2024, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Further Reading

What is an Executive Order? - American Bar Association

Executive Orders by President - The American Presidency Project (UCSB)

Divided Government and Presidential Unilateralism

Issued on 03/14/23 06:07pm
NEW: This question requires 120 new Executive Orders to be issued between Nov. 1, 2022 and Jan. 20, 2024. As Biden issued 104 Executive Orders before this period, that would mean the total number of Executive Orders on Jan. 20, 2024 would need to be 224 or more for the question to resolve positively.