Automated Sync Active • Database updated as of Recent Browse All Orders →
Executive Orders Archive

Every President • 1789 to Present

Executive Order 12661 Constitutional Fidelity (+0.29)

Executive Order 12661—Implementing the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and Related International Trade Matters

Tuesday, December 27, 1988
14 min read (2,861 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Ronald Reagan on 1988-12-27, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Implementing the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and Related International Trade Matters." It is an expansive, comprehensive regulatory directive mandating coordinated enforcement, detailed procedural standards, and formal agency compliance benchmarks across multiple federal departments.

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

590, June 17, 1930), as amended ("Tariff Act"), the National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1989 (P.L.
2253, note), as amended by section 1322 of the Omnibus Trade Act, are delegated to the United States Trade Representative.
The functions vested in the President by sections 1375 and 1376(e) of the Omnibus Trade Act, regarding certain telecommunications negotiations as may be ordered by the President and reports thereon to Congressional Committees, are delegated to the United States Trade Representative.
The Secretary of Commerce or his representative shall be the Chairman of the interagency group.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Foreign Nations & International Entities
Total Words
2,861
19,242 characters
Estimated Read Time
14 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
16.1
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.29
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 12661, Ronald Reagan (Dec 27, 1988). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-12661-implementing-the-omnibus-trade-and-competitiveness-act-1988-and.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)