Executive Order Watch

🧭 How to Read the Graph

• Executive Orders Signed on the left | Laws Passed on the right

• Low to High = Democracy in action (Fewer Executive Orders Signed → More Laws Passed)

• High to Low = Authoritarian behavior in action (More Executive Orders Signed → Fewer Laws Passed)

• The steeper the line, the more extreme the trend

🟢 The Green Line = Democratic Norms

The green line accurately represents the average Executive Orders and Laws typically signed to date in an administration. This shows a trend where power is shared. Laws are passed by elected representatives, with public debate and public input.

🔴 The Red Line = What’s Happening Now

The red line shows the actual Executive Orders and Laws signed to date by the current administration.

• If the red line follows the same upward path as the green, democratic institutions are functioning, the people are part of the process of governing.

• But if the red line slopes in the opposite direction, the lines form an X—a clear warning that power is no longer flowing through the people.

⚠️ Why Crossing Lines Means Danger

When the red line crosses the green, it shows a shift away from democratic norms: Policy and actions are skipping the democratic process . With fewer representative laws and more executive orders, there is less accountability and oversight. The steeper the line, the more anti-democratic the actions.

This is how authoritarianism takes hold:

🔹 Bypassing Congress skips your voice

🔹 Avoiding accountability shuts down oversight and public debate

🔹 Centralizing power puts decisions in the hands of one—not many

This isn’t just a change in process—it’s a concentration of power.