President Donald Trump's first months in office have been filled with a flurry of action, and he's just getting started.The 45th president has signed 64 executive actions so far, with far-reaching effects on Americans' lives.There are technically three types of executive actions, which each have different authority and effects, with executive orders holding the most prestige:Executive orders are assigned numbers and published in the federal register, similar to laws passed by Congress, and typically direct members of the executive branch to follow a new policy or directive. Trump has issued 23 orders.Presidential memoranda do not have to be published or numbered (though they can be), and usually delegate tasks that Congress has already assigned the president to members of the executive branch. Trump has issued 22 memoranda.Finally, while some proclamations ' like President Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation ' have carried enormous weight, most are ceremonial observances of federal holidays or awareness months. Trump has issued 19 proclamations.Scholars have typically used the number of executive orders per term to measure how much presidents have exercised their power. George Washington only signed eight his entire time in office, according to the American Presidency Project, while FDR penned over 3,700.In his two terms, President Barack Obama issued 277 executive orders, a total number on par with his modern predecessors, but the lowest per year average in 120 years. Trump, so far, has signed 23 executive orders in 82 days.Here's a quick guide to the executive actions Trump has made so far, what they do, and how Americans have reacted to them:SEE ALSO:Here's how Trump's new travel ban compares to his controversial first oneDON'T MISS:Obama deported 3 million immigrants during his presidency ' here's how Trump's new immigration order comparesPresidential memorandum, April 12: Delegating terrorist report requestThe 2017 National Defense Authorization Actdirects the president to review "known instances since 2011 in which a person has traveled or attempted to travel to a conflict zone in Iraq or Syria from the United States to join or provide material support or resources to a terrorist organization," and submit a report to Congress.Trump delegated this responsibility toFBI Director James Comey.Read the full text of the memo here Presidential memorandum, April 11: Signing letter on including Montenegro in NATOAt the end of March, the US Senate voted to include Montenegro's in NATO, 97 to 2. While Trump called the alliance "obsolete" as recently as January, he said he no longer feels that way, and didn't veto the small southern European country's inclusion.The president has called on members of NATO to pay their fair share, saying the US carries too much financial responsibility for the military stronghold. The addition of Montenegro is likely to irk Russia, however, as it means one more country looks to West instead of staying under the influence of the Kremlin.Read the full text of the memo indicating Trump's approval of the Senate's vote here Presidential memorandum, April 8: Notifying Congress of the US Syria strikeThis memo formally informed Congress of Trump's order tolaunch a salvo of 59 cruise missileson Shayrat airfield and nearby military infrastructure controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday, in response to a chemical attack that killed at least 80 people in the northwestern part of the country on Tuesday.Some lawmakers slammed Trump for not getting congressional or UN approval before ordering the strike, as the president's legal authority for doing so is unclear."I acted in the vital national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive," Trump said in the memo. "I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution."Read the full text of the memo here See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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