On Jan. 20, 2025 Donald J. Trump was sworn in as president of the United States for the second time. In the time since then, Trump has signed 108 total executive actions and counting. These actions are made up of orders, memorandums and proclamations. The process of approval for Trump’s cabinet member nominations is underway as well.
These decisions can affect universities all over the country. And understanding executive orders and cabinet appointments is essential to knowing how governmental actions affect students. Here is what WT students need to know.
“An executive order is kind of the way it sounds,” Dr. David Rausch, Teel Bivins professor of political science, said. “It’s a directive that has the force of law until it’s told it doesn’t. It’s issued by the president, usually on a fairly limited topic.”
Because executive orders are not required to pass through congress to be enacted, they can sometimes be overturned.
“In some cases, executive orders have been essentially thrown out or ruled unconstitutional, because it might be a case of presidential overreach,” Rausch said. “Or let’s say the president decides to cancel something, congress could react to an executive order, and enact a law making it a little bit harder. You could also sue. Only congress has the power of the purse, and so that would lead to probably a couple of lawsuits that would make their way through the courts.”
Dr. Reed Welch, Teel Bivins professor of American politics and department head of political science and criminal justice, shared his insight on what cabinet members are, and what their purpose is.
“Cabinet officials are over departments like the Department of Defense or the Department of State or the Department of Interior and so forth,” Welch said. “And so they are in charge of running the programs, running the departments. How the president uses them varies by the president. The people the president is dealing primarily with are the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, the Attorney General, Treasury Secretary, those kinds of people. Those cabinet officials become household names.”
Welch outlined the process for approval of a President’s cabinet member picks.
“The President has a team before they even get elected, they start months in advance, going through potential candidates for different positions to serve with the President,” Welch said. “Say you get elected in November, and you take the oath of office on Jan. 20. That’s not a whole lot of time. So they start in advance trying to develop a plan just in case they get elected. It’s very common for the President to meet with them and see who they like and who they’re comfortable with, and make a nomination. Then cabinet officials require senate confirmation, which they will either recommend them or not. Almost always, it will recommend them.”
So how can WT students educate themselves on the issues enacted by executive orders, and the actions taken or beliefs held by cabinet member officials?
“Keeping up with reliable news sources is a good way to know what’s going on in the world,” Welch said. “Just be careful about what sources you choose.”
Executive orders and cabinet appointments shape national policies that can impact students. Staying informed helps you understand how government decisions affect your education and daily life. Follow reliable sources, ask questions and stay engaged.
