Presidential Documents in the United States

Proclamations and Executive Orders

Proclamations and Executive Orders are found in:

• Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. In print from vol. 1, no. 1 (August 2, 1965). Internet: gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/ (from 1993) and heinonline.org (1965-2005)
• Title 3 of the CFR and compilation volumes of Title 3.
• Statutes at Large. (PROCLAMATIONS ONLY from 1846)
• U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN).
• U.S. Code Service. Advance pamphlets (Library keeps current pamphlets only).
• Treaties and other International Acts Series, when they proclaim treaties or other international agreements.
• Federal Register. EXECUTIVE ORDERS ONLY.
• ONLINE SOURCES: PRES-DAILY (daily presidential documents) from Jan 1993 in Internet at: gpoaccess.gov/executive.html.

Former databases include:

• Lexis: EXEC; PRESDC from March 24, 1979
• Westlaw: PRES database from 1936
• Westlaw: USCCAN-PROC (presidential proclamations) from 1984
• Westlaw: USCCAN-MSG (presidential messages from 2000, signing statements from 1986)

Finding Aids:

Indexes and Tables:

• Index to CFR and Index to compilations of Title 3
• CIS Federal Register Index.
• USCCAN Table 7 lists proclamations, Table 8 lists executive orders, and index lists documents both by subject and under the headings “executive orders” and “proclamations.”
• New Jersey Historical Survey Project. List and index of Presidential executive orders: unnumbered series, 1789-1941. Wilmington, Delaware. Michael Glazier, 1979 (reprint).
• New York City Historical Records Survey. Presidential Executive Orders, numbered 1-8030, 1862 – 1938. New York, Books Inc., 1944.

Compilations:

• U.S. President. Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders. Washington, D.C. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives General Service Administration, 1989. Internet: archives.gov/federal-register/codification/ (from Apr. 13, 1945 – Jan. 20, 1989)
• Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (1965- ). Indexed quarterly. Internet: gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/ (from 1993)
• Public Papers of the President of the United States. Annual compilation. Internet: gpoaccess.gov/pubpapers/ (from 1991)