With the Stroke of a Pen

Kenneth R. Mayer is Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the coauthor of "The Dysfunctional Congress? The Individual Roots of an Institutional Dilemma" and the author of "The Political Economy of Defense Contracting".

• List of Figures and Tables ix Acknowledgments xi One: Why Are Executive Orders Important? 3 Two: Executive Orders and the Law 34 Three: Patterns of Use 66 Four: Executive Orders and the Institutional Presidency 109 Five: Executive Orders and Foreign Affairs 138 Six: Executive Orders and Civil Rights 182 Seven: Conclusion 218 List of Abbreviations 225 Notes 227 Index 279

Winner of the Neustadt Award "A lucid, historical, and topical discussion of the executive order... [Mayer] makes some useful corrections to the conventional wisdom about the subject... [The book] is superbly done, can be read by undergraduates or advanced scholars alike, and will be invaluable for reference."--Richard M. Pious, Presidential Studies Quarterly "While the book is aimed at academics and presumes knowledge of contemporary debates on the power of the presidency, it is not too abstruse for the current events-minded reader... And if you're a journalist or author researching the office of the presidency, it's essential."--Lauren Mandell, NationalJournal.com "Mayer has written the definitive contemporary account of the presidential power of issuing executive orders. The detailed historical coverage and analysis make this volume the best single reference source on the topic."--Choice "A valuable, systematic, and insightful examination of an important presidential power. In the wake of terrorist threats and economic recession, With the Stroke of a Pen might well lead one to expect significant executive orders and perhaps other unilateral presidential action."--Karen M. Hult, The Journal of Politics "No doubt analysts will continue to debate the nature of executive power, but Mayer has demonstrated convincingly that 'executive orders matter.' His book is well worth reading by anyone interested in the history of the presidency, the nature of governmental authority, or leadership in general."--Michael A. Palmer, American Historical Review "A book that should be of keen interest to anyone wishing to learn about how executive orders fit into the larger landscape of the institutional presidency."--George A. Krause, American Political Science Review "This is one of the most important books on the presidency that has come out in the last ten years... It stands as the best book to date on this important source of presidential power. I recommend this book to a wide audience."--David E. Lewis, Congress and the Presidency