Political Science

The Executive Office of the President issues three main types of resources:

• Executive Orders are the most common form of signed documents, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the Federal Government and are largely directed at administrative agencies.
   
• Proclamations are signed documents through which the President communicates information on holidays, commemorations, special observances, and trade. Proclamations are largely ceremonial in nature.
   
• Administrative Orders are signed documents the President uses to carry out the administrative operations of the Federal Government. Administrative orders include memoranda, notices, determinations, letters, and messages.

The listing of resources below is not meant to be all-inclusive. For more in-depth information on locating Executive branch documents go to the Penn Libraries guide U.S. Government Documents: Executive Branch.

Executive Orders, Proclamations, and other types of Administrative Orders have been published since 1936 in the  Federal Register, the official daily journal of the U.S. Federal Government. Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. The Federal Register is published to keep the public informed on Federal regulations and Presidential actions.

Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the compiled collection of signed Presidential documents (including Executive Orders) and the codification of White House regulations dealing with the conduct of employees of the Executive Office of the President. Title 3 of the CFR includes presidential documents.