Executive orders. Every presidency since 1789.
Executive orders are one measurable form of presidential action: signed directives that manage the operations of the federal government, published in the Federal Register since 1936. Counting them shows how the practice changed. It does not measure how consequential any one order was.
Orders per year in office. In order of office.
Per-year rates let presidencies of different lengths be compared. Short presidencies swing widely: a few orders in a few months can make a high rate.
- George Washington 17891
- John Adams 17970.25
- Thomas Jefferson 18010.5
- James Madison 18090.13
- James Monroe 18170.13
- John Quincy Adams 18250.75
- Andrew Jackson 18291.5
- Martin van Buren 18372.5
- William Henry Harrison 18410
- John Tyler 18414.3
- James K. Polk 18454.5
- Zachary Taylor 18493.7
- Millard Fillmore 18504.5
- Franklin Pierce 18539
- James Buchanan 18574
- Abraham Lincoln 186112
- Andrew Johnson 186520
- Ulysses S. Grant 186927
- Rutherford B. Hayes 187723
- James Garfield 188111
- Chester Arthur 188128
- Grover Cleveland (I) 188528
- Benjamin Harrison 188936
- Grover Cleveland (II) 189335
- William McKinley 189741
- Theodore Roosevelt 1901145
- William Howard Taft 1909181
- Woodrow Wilson 1913225
- Warren G. Harding 1921217
- Calvin Coolidge 1923215
- Herbert Hoover 1929251
- Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933307
- Harry S. Truman 1945117
- Dwight D. Eisenhower 195361
- John F. Kennedy 196175
- Lyndon B. Johnson 196363
- Richard Nixon 196962
- Gerald R. Ford 197469
- Jimmy Carter 197780
- Ronald Reagan 198148
- George Bush 198942
- William J. Clinton 199346
- George W. Bush 200136
- Barack Obama 200935
- Donald J. Trump (I) 201755
- Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 202141
- Donald J. Trump (II) 2025166
| President | Took office | Years | Orders | Per year | Number range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington | 1789 | 7.85 | 8 | 1 | Unnumbered |
| John Adams | 1797 | 4 | 1 | 0.25 | Unnumbered |
| Thomas Jefferson | 1801 | 8 | 4 | 0.5 | Unnumbered |
| James Madison | 1809 | 8 | 1 | 0.13 | Unnumbered |
| James Monroe | 1817 | 8 | 1 | 0.13 | Unnumbered |
| John Quincy Adams | 1825 | 4 | 3 | 0.75 | Unnumbered |
| Andrew Jackson | 1829 | 8 | 12 | 1.5 | Unnumbered |
| Martin van Buren | 1837 | 4 | 10 | 2.5 | Unnumbered |
| William Henry Harrison | 1841 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | Unnumbered |
| John Tyler | 1841 | 3.92 | 17 | 4.3 | Unnumbered |
| James K. Polk | 1845 | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | Unnumbered |
| Zachary Taylor | 1849 | 1.35 | 5 | 3.7 | Unnumbered |
| Millard Fillmore | 1850 | 2.65 | 12 | 4.5 | Unnumbered |
| Franklin Pierce | 1853 | 4 | 35 | 9 | Unnumbered |
| James Buchanan | 1857 | 4 | 16 | 4 | Unnumbered |
| Abraham Lincoln | 1861 | 4.12 | 48 | 12 | Unnumbered |
| Andrew Johnson | 1865 | 3.89 | 79 | 20 | Unnumbered |
| Ulysses S. Grant | 1869 | 8 | 217 | 27 | Unnumbered |
| Rutherford B. Hayes | 1877 | 4 | 92 | 23 | Unnumbered |
| James Garfield | 1881 | 0.55 | 6 | 11 | Unnumbered |
| Chester Arthur | 1881 | 3.46 | 96 | 28 | Unnumbered |
| Grover Cleveland (I) | 1885 | 4 | 113 | 28 | Unnumbered |
| Benjamin Harrison | 1889 | 4 | 143 | 36 | Unnumbered |
| Grover Cleveland (II) | 1893 | 4 | 140 | 35 | Unnumbered |
| William McKinley | 1897 | 4.53 | 185 | 41 | Unnumbered |
| Theodore Roosevelt | 1901 | 7.47 | 1,081 | 145 | Unnumbered |
| William Howard Taft | 1909 | 4 | 724 | 181 | Unnumbered |
| Woodrow Wilson | 1913 | 8 | 1,803 | 225 | Unnumbered |
| Warren G. Harding | 1921 | 2.41 | 522 | 217 | Unnumbered |
| Calvin Coolidge | 1923 | 5.59 | 1,203 | 215 | Unnumbered |
| Herbert Hoover | 1929 | 4 | 1,003 | 251 | 5076 - 6070 |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | 1933 | 12.12 | 3,726 | 307 | 6071 - 9537 |
| Harry S. Truman | 1945 | 7.78 | 907 | 117 | 9538 - 10431 |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1953 | 8 | 484 | 61 | 10432 - 10913 |
| John F. Kennedy | 1961 | 2.84 | 214 | 75 | 10914 - 11127 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | 1963 | 5.17 | 325 | 63 | 11128 - 11451 |
| Richard Nixon | 1969 | 5.55 | 346 | 62 | 11452 - 11797 |
| Gerald R. Ford | 1974 | 2.45 | 169 | 69 | 11798 - 11966 |
| Jimmy Carter | 1977 | 4 | 320 | 80 | 11967 - 12286 |
| Ronald Reagan | 1981 | 8 | 381 | 48 | 12287 - 12667 |
| George Bush | 1989 | 4 | 166 | 42 | 12668 - 12833 |
| William J. Clinton | 1993 | 8 | 364 | 46 | 12834 - 13197 |
| George W. Bush | 2001 | 8 | 291 | 36 | 13198 - 13488 |
| Barack Obama | 2009 | 8 | 276 | 35 | 13489 - 13764 |
| Donald J. Trump (I) | 2017 | 4 | 220 | 55 | 13765 - 13984 |
| Joseph R. Biden, Jr. | 2021 | 4 | 162 | 41 | 13985 - 14146 |
| Donald J. Trump (II) | 2025 | 1.75 | 292 | 166 | 14147 - 14438 |
Reading the counts. What they can’t tell you.
Orders differ in weight
One order may rename an office; another may intern a population. A count treats them the same. Read the orders themselves for their effect.
Other tools exist
Presidents also act through proclamations, memoranda, national security directives and signing statements. None of those are counted here.
Early counts are less certain
Orders were not numbered until the twentieth century, and records before 1945 include unnumbered orders compiled from archives.
Power on the line. Beside the Court and Congress.
The timeline draws executive orders under the decisions and laws of each presidency.