Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Jimmy Carter on 1978-10-07, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Federal Civilian and Military Pay Increases." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.
Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪The adjustments in rates of monthly basic pay and allowances for subsistence and quarters for members of the uniformed services shall be effective on October 1, 1978.
▪All other adjustments of salary or pay shall be effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after October 1, 1978.
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments
🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners
🏛️ Foreign Nations & International Entities
Total Words
402
2,350 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
8.7
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.23
Framers' Alignment index
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Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 12087, Jimmy Carter (Oct 7, 1978). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-12087-federal-civilian-and-military-pay-increases.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN RATES OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1-1. Adjusted Rates of Pay and Allowances. 1-101. Statutory Pay Systems. Pursuant to the provisions of subchapter I of Chapter 53 of Title 5 of the United States Code, the rates of basic pay and salaries are adjusted, as set forth at the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof, for the following statutory pay systems: (a) The General Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5332(a) ) at Schedule 1; (b) the schedules for the Foreign Service (22 U.S.C. 867 and 870(a) ) at Schedule 2; and (c) the schedules for the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Veterans Administration (38 U.S.C. 4107) at Schedule 3. 1-102. Pay and Allowances for Members of the Uniformed Services. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1009 of Title 37 of the United States Code, the rates of monthly basic pay (37 U.S.C. 203 (a) and (c)), the rates of basic allowances for subsistence (37 U.S.C. 402), and the rates of basic allowances for quarters (37 U.S.C. 403(a) ) are adjusted, as set forth at Schedule 4 attached hereto and made a part hereof, for members of the uniformed services. 1-103. Executive Salaries. The Executive Salary Cost of Living Adjustment Act (Public Law 94-82, 89 Stat. 419) provides for adjustments in the rates of pay and salaries as set forth at the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof, for the following: (a) The Vice President (3 U.S.C. 104) and the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5312-5316) at Schedule 5; (b) Congressional Salaries (2 U.S.C. 31) at Schedule 6; and (c) Judicial Salaries (28 U.S.C. 5, 44 (d), 135, 173, 213, 252, 792(b) and 11 U.S.C. 68(a) ), at Schedule 7. 1-2. General Provisions 1-201. Effective Date. The adjustments in rates of monthly basic pay and allowances for subsistence and quarters for members of the uniformed services shall be effective on October 1, 1978. All other adjustments of salary or pay shall be effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after October 1, 1978. 1-202. Superseded Orders. Executive Order No. 12010 of September 28, 1977 is superseded. JIMMY CARTER The White House, October 7, 1978. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:05 a.m., October 10, 1978]