The American Presidency Project

The Papers of
the Presidents
The American Presidency Project is the only online resource that has consolidated, coded, and organized into a single searchable database:
• The Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Washington - Taft (1789-1913)
• The Public Papers of the Presidents:
Hoover to Obama (1929-2012)
• The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents: Carter - G.W. Bush (1977-2009)
• The Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents: Obama-Trump (2009-2017)

• Our archives also contain thousands of other documents such as party platforms, candidates' remarks, Statements of Administration Policy, documents released by the Office of the Press Secretary, and election debates:

search our archives

The 25 Most Viewed Documents Since 2008

#1	John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address

#2	Republican Party Platforms
Republican Party Platform of 1956

#3	Democratic Party Platforms
2008 Democratic Party Platform

#4	Republican Party Platforms
2008 Republican Party Platform

#5	John F. Kennedy
Executive Order 10990 - Reestablishing the Federal Safety Council

#6	Democratic Party Platforms
2012 Democratic Party Platform

#7	Republican Party Platforms
2012 Republican Party Platform

#8	George W. Bush
Address to the Nation on the Terrorist Attacks

#9	Ronald Reagan
Inaugural Address

#10	John F. Kennedy
Executive Order 11110 - Amendment of Executive Order No. 10289 as Amended, Relating to the Performance of Certain Functions Affecting the Department of the Treasury

#11	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Fireside Chat on Banking

#12	Barack Obama
Inaugural Address

#13	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Letter on the Resolution of Federation of Federal Employees Against Strikes in Federal Service

#14	John F. Kennedy
Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Nobel Prize Winners of the Western Hemisphere

#15	Franklin D. Roosevelt
1944 State of the Union Message to Congress

#16	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Inaugural Address

#17	Barack Obama
Executive Order 13603 - National Defense Resources Preparedness

#18	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Executive Order 6102 - Requiring Gold Coin, Gold Bullion and Gold Certificates to Be Delivered to the Government

#19	Republican Party Platforms
Republican Party Platform of 1860

#20	George Bush
Executive Order 12803 - Infrastructure Privatization

#21	Abraham Lincoln
Inaugural Address

#22	George Washington
First Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union

#23	William J. Clinton
Inaugural Address

#24	Democratic Party Platforms
Democratic Party Platform of 1960

#25	John F. Kennedy
Address of Senator John F. Kennedy Accepting the Democratic Party Nomination for the Presidency of the United States - Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

The American Presidency Project (APP), non-profit and non-partisan, is the leading source of presidential documents on the internet. Our archives contain 130,721 documents and are growing rapidly.

The APP, hosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been a collaboration between John T. Woolley (UCSB) and Gerhard Peters (Citrus College) since 1999.

The American Presidency Project is grateful for the generous support provided by Lena and David G. Adishian,
UCSB Foundation Trustee and Alumnus

and also significant donations from:

     • Marc Hershman
     • Charles Walcott & Karen Hult
     • Marilyn Lee & Harvey Schneider

Your donation in support of The American Presidency Project is
tax-deductible

Comparing the Pace of President Trump's
Executive Orders & Memoranda to Other Recent Presidents

1. How does President Trump's pace of executive orders within just days of taking office compare to his predecessors? (see graph below)

His written orders include documents titled "Executive Order," Memorandum, and Proclamation.

2. Is the content or subject matter of Trump's executive orders thus far markedly different than those issued in the early days of previous administrations?

Typically a President's initial orders are intended to immediately make good on campaign promises and commitments. As a result, these include specific acts repudiating the prior administration's policies. In that respect, Trump is very much in the normal stream.

However, often campaign commitments cannot be fulfilled by executive action (e.g., to change taxes, permanently cut spending, increase the size of the military, enact a new system of regulation of financial institutions). An aggressive legislative program would be needed.

Several of President Trump's orders request reports or analysis from agencies that presumably will later be reflected in legislation. Arguably President Trump is talking a very expansive view of the discretion available to him; certainly he takes a very strong rhetorical stance.

3. Does this White House's roll out seem different, especially with respect to border security and entry of foreigners? . . .

SEE FULL ARTICLE

70 years ago

Labor Day Address in Cadillac Square, Detroit
September 6, 1948

Mr. Mayor, distinguished leaders of labor and fellow citizens:

This, in my opinion, is a great day for labor. This is a great day for the country. When I can stand on this same platform in the city of Detroit with the Mayor and with Walter Reuther and Frank Martel, I know the country is on the road to recovery.

I am more than happy to join in this Labor Day celebration. I am more than happy to be present with the CIO and the A.F. of L. in marching together side by side in the interests of the welfare of the country's citizens.

In unity there is strength. Working people need every ounce of strength they possess to meet today's problems. Forces in the world, and in our Government, would destroy free labor. Therefore, I am urging you with everything I have, to send Frank Hook to the Senate of the United States, and to send a Congressman from Michigan that will go along with me on that program.

As you know, I speak plainly sometimes. In fact, I speak bluntly sometimes. I ...read full document

The Document Archive Contains 130,721 Records
• Executive Orders	5903	• State of the Union Addresses	97
• Proclamations	8044	• State of the Union Messages	138
• Press Conferences	2107	• Inaugural Addresses	58
• Saturday Radio Addresses	1639	• Addresses to Congress (non-SOU)	80
• Fireside Chats (FDR)	27	• Addresses to Nation	252
• Veto Messages	1169	• Addresses to the United Nations	49
• Radio & TV Correspondents Dinners	31	• Addresses to Foreign Legislatures	75
• Party Convention Addresses	33	• College Commencement Addresses	164

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Public Papers Document #		(PPPUS numbered only from 1929-1977)
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