A comparison of the frequency and timing of executive orders issued by recent Presidents indicates that, usually, Presidents did not issue more executive orders during the transition period than did their peers. However, another study shows that Presidents between 1936 and 1995 were likely to issue more executive orders during their last month in office than at other times during their terms.
Executive orders vary in significance and scope.
A sampling of executive orders issued by Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton during the final weeks of their respective presidencies shows this range. Overview of Executive Orders Unilateral action by the President, in the form of executive orders, dates back to the administration of George Washington. The numbering of executive orders, which was started by the Department of State, began in 1907. The first executive order, designated as such, retroactively, by the Department of State, was an order signed by President Abraham Lincoln on October 20, 1862. However, the Attorney General may send an executive order directly to the President, bypassing NARA, if circumstances warrant an expedited process.