Administration Web Pages
Publications
Directives
Directives are top level documents that reflect actual presidential intention as opposed to the public statement of purpose. Directives are issued through the National Security Council. Many current directives are still classified. Different Presidents have given them different names:
Many directives are available through the Presidential Directives and Executive Orders Website maintained by the Federation of American Scientists. The Library of Congress has posted a finding aid titled Presidential Directives and Where to Find Them on their Website.
Executive Orders and Proclamations
Executive Orders are issued under statutory authority. These are official documents by which the President manages the operations of the federal government. Proclamations are most often used as broad ceremonial or policy statements of general interest. See Executive Orders: A Journey in Legal Reference Services Quarterly V. 10 (3) 1990, p. 125, [K12 .E357 ] for definitions of Executive Orders and how they've been used.
Press Briefings
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
This is a cumulative version of Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, containing public messages, speeches, and statements of the President. Published approximately twice a year. Material in the Library:
Signing Statements
Signing statements are written comments issued by a President at the time of signed legislation. They are published in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and later in the annual Public Papers of the President. They are at the American Presidency Project
These were issued each Monday containing statements, messages, speeches and other Presidential materials released by the White House during the preceding week. No longer published in paper as of 11/01/2000. Materials in the Library:
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