Discussion Post

respond respectfully to the post below with 2-3 sentences offering what you have to say in general about executive orders and the American presidency. In other words, given that you agree with some executive orders and disagree with others, would you ultimately argue for or against the use of executive orders? If your answer is that they should only be used in certain circumstances, how would you define those circumstances?

“The first executive order that I chose was the New Deal. I believe the New Deal to be constitutional due to the circumstances surrounding its enaction and the details of the order. As the United States was suffering due to the Great Depression, something had to be done to bolster the economy and support the people in impoverished times. Thus, the New Deal was created at the appropriate time to make agencies that would give people jobs and attempt to pull the economy and the lives of many back together. The New Deal was constitutional in that it did not infringe on the rights of people but instead provided access points to support the people. There is much debate as to whether the New Deal had a significant impact on the U.S. economy while under the Great Depression, but the New Deal did nothing wrong constitutionally nor morally.

The second executive order that I chose was the Japanese Internment Camps. This executive order is one that I believe to be unconstitutional. To give context, because of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, there was somewhat of a panic against Japanese people in or entering the United States. To combat this, an executive order was made that would keep Japanese people in these camps for observation and to make sure that they would not benefit Japan during World War II. The camps themselves were not in good condition and were inhumane. The executive order was unconstitutional as it defied amendments that gave rights to the people, especially the 14th amendment. While an argument can be made that those rights were purely only reserved for citizens of the United States, such a case can be made that the wording expands to all peoples, even those outside of the United States. Morally, these internment camps are also just wrong, as they came as a byproduct of racism and hysteria. As such, this executive order was unconstitutional.”