Executive Orders and Other Presidential Documents: Sources and Explanations
Code of Federal Regulations - Title 3 - Presidential Documents (from 1997 - GPO's GovInfo) - - includes proclamations, executive orders, admin. orders, reorg. plans, letters, memos, etc. - - 1936-38 compilation & from 1938 to 1975 five year Title 3 compilations published
Code of Federal Regulations Library on HeinOnline (from 1938 - subscription) - - from 1938 to 1965 various editions with cumulative supps; from 1967 annual Title 3 editions
Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders (1945-1989 - OFR-NARA)
Compilation of Presidential Documents (browse) - Adv. Search (from 1993 - GPO's GovInfo)
- - Compilation of Presidential Documents Collection (lists and explains contents - NARA)
Executive Orders (Disposition Tables from 1937, Texts from 1993, FAQs, Indices - OFR-NARA)
- - Executive Orders and Proclamations (CRS Report, 29 p., 1999)
- - Executive Orders: Issuance, Modification, and Revocation (CRS Peport, 13 p., 2014)
- - Executive Orders and Proclamations: A Study of a Use of Presidential Powers (Cmte Print, 214 p., 1957)
Executive Orders by Number in U.S. Code section notes (USC Table IV - Law Revision Counsel)
Executive Orders by Year (from 1826 - American Presidency Project - UCSB)
Executive Orders on Lexis or Westlaw (from 1936 - subscriptions; personal password needed)
Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations on Proquest (1789 to present - subscription)
Federal Register (published since 1936 - all available by subscription on HeinOnline, Lexis & Westlaw)
Federal Register (from 1936, free browse and print via GPO's GovInfo.gov)
Federal Register (search from 1994, includes exec. orders, Pres. proclamations & selected admin. orders)
FederalRegister.gov (from 1994 - document results for "Executive Office of the President") - - results for "Executive Order", "Proclamation", "Presidential Determination", Directive", Memorandum - - results for "Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay" (annual exec. order adjusting Federal salaries)
Presidential Directives on National Security (via FAS.org) and on Homeland Security (via DHS)
- - Presidential Directives (LoC website, 1998) | Memo on Legal Effectiveness (by OLC-DOJ, 2000)
- - Presidential Directives: Background & Overview (CRS Report, 19 p., 2008)
Presidential Libraries and Museums - Search - Presidential Documents Guide (NARA)
Presidential Proclamations (from 1789 - American Presidency Project - UCSB)
- - Executive Orders and Proclamations (CRS Report, 29 p., 1999)
- - Executive Orders and Proclamations: A Study of a Use of Presidential Powers (Cmte Print, 214 p., 1957)
Presidential Proclamations - browse in the U.S. Statutes at Large from 1951 or Search or by Stat. cite
Presidential Signing Statements (from 1929 - American Presidency Project - UCSB)
- - Presidential Signing Statements Research Guide (sources & explanations - Georgetown Univ.)
- - Signing Statements and Presidentializing Legislative History (NBER paper, 2017)
Presidents - Biographical Information (POTUS - IPL.org)
- - Succession to the Presidency - A Chronology (in U.S. Constitution and in U.S. statutes)
Public Papers of the President (from 1981 - OFR-NARA - taken from Compilation of Pres. Docs) - - speeches, press releases, orders, proclamations, signing statements, memos, letters, etc.
Public Papers of the President (from 1929-2001 & from Hoover to Clinton - Univ. of Mich.)
Public Papers of the President (from 1789 in the American Presidency Project - UCSB)
Statements of Administration Policy (on prop. legislation, from 1997 - Amer. Presidency Proj. - UCSB)
Table of Presidential Issuances and Cong. Publication Volumes (Present to 1789 - LLSDC)
White House - Presidential Actions (Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda, Pres. Proclamations) - - Office of Management & Budget - OMB circulars - Bulletins - Memos - Info Policies - Legislative Info
Note: Generally explanatory sites are in italic, but many source sites also have explanatory information.
Compiled by Rick McKinney, retired Federal law librarian.
Other members of LLSDC's Legislative Research Special Interest Section also assisted in its development.
Please email your questions or comments to the Legislative SIS.
Last update: May 2, 2019
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