On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln legally changed the status of over 3 million enslaved blacks across ten states from slave to free.
在1863年1月1日，亚伯拉罕·林肯总统合法地改变了十个州300多万黑人奴隶的身份，把他们从奴隶变为了自由身。
His Emancipation Proclamation wasn't a law, or a presidential decree. It was an executive order.
他的《解放黑人奴隶宣言》既不是法律，也不是总统令，而是一份行政命令。
The framers of the American Constitution made the power of executive order available to the executive branch.
美国宪法的制定者为各行政部门提供了发出行政命令的权力。
But what exactly is this tool? How does it work? And what is the extent of its power?
但这份命令实际上是什么呢？它是如何运作的呢？它有多大的权力？
Well, an executive order isn't a law, but it can carry the weight of one.
其实行政命令不是一项法律，但它具有法律的效力。
Passing laws involves a fairly lengthy process.
通过一项法律是一个相当漫长的过程。
First, a member of Congress proposes a piece of legislation in the form of a bill.
首先，国会议员以法案的形式提出一项立法。
After many committees and revisions, if the bill is approved by a majority votes in Congress,
经过许多次委员会会议及修订后，如果法案获得国会大部分成员通过，
that is both the House and Senate, the bill is then sent to the president for signature.
也就是同时获得众议院和参议院的支持，法案才会让总统签署。
If the president signs the bill, it then becomes a law.
在总统签署法案后，它便正式成为律例。
An executive order, on the other hand, is something the president issues without consultation or permission from Congress.
而行政命令是一项总统无须咨询或经过国会同意便能发出的命令。
They are, however, enforced like laws,
但它仍会像法律一样需要执行，
and are subject to judicial review by the court system to make sure they're within the limits of the Constitution.
并由法院系统进行司法审查，以确保其在宪法的范围内。
That means the courts have the power to invalidate any executive decisions
这意味着法院有权判定任何行政命令无效，
that they determine are an overreach of the president in trying to assert power.
在他们认为总统在试图维护权力方面做得过头了的时候。
And once the president leaves office, if his or her successor wants to eliminate the executive order, they can do so.
一旦这位总统离任，如果他或她的继任者想要取消行政命令，这样做是可以的。
So when does a president use an executive order?
那么总统何时会使用行政命令呢？
Sometimes a president feels the need to exert power without working with Congress,
有时候总统会认为没有必要经过国会来运用权力，
and in times of crisis, quick decisions can be justified.
而在危机时刻，快速决定是合理的。
But most executive orders are not responses to emergencies.
但大部分行政命令的推行不是因为紧急情况。
They're often directed towards agencies in the federal government in order to expand or contract their power.
这些命令往往是针对联邦政府机构以扩大或约束其权力。

Others determine the extent to which legislation should be enforced.
其他还包括决定应在何种程度上执行立法。
And sometimes, a president may use an executive order to clarify and help implement a policy that needs to be easily defined.
有时候，总统可能会通过行政命令阐明和帮助实施需要明确定义的政策。
Some of the most famous executive orders have changed the course of American history.
一些有名的行政命令改变了美国历史的进程。
FDR issued an executive order to establish the Works Progress Administration,
罗斯福总统曾发布一项行政命令，建立公共事业振兴署，
which helped build thousands of roads, bridges, and parks throughout the country.
帮全国修建了数千条道路、桥梁和公园。
The WPA also employed thousands of writers, painters, sculptors, and artists to create works of art in public spaces.
公共事业振兴署还聘用了数千名作家、画家、雕塑家和艺术家，来进行公共空间的美化工程。
Additionally, Harry Truman used an executive order to desegregate the armed forces in 1948.
此外，哈里·杜鲁门总统也在1948年利用行政命令来解散军队。
And in 1965, Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order to establish requirements for nondiscriminatory practices in hiring and employment.
1965年，林登·约翰逊总统签署了一份行政命令，确定了聘用和就业方面的非歧视性做法的要求。
Executive orders have often been used in positive and inclusive ways, but they've also been used to exclude and divide.
行政命令的运用通常是积极和具包容性的，但也存在排除和差异化的情况。
One of the most notable examples being FDR's 1942 executive order.
其中一个最好的例子是罗斯福总统在1942年颁布的行政命令。
He gave the military authority to target predominantly Japanese-Americans,
他授予军事机构权力，主要锁定日裔美国人、
as well as German-Americans and Italian-Americans, in certain regions across the country.
德裔美国人和意大利裔美国人，范围涵盖全国多个地区。
This executive order also removed any or all of those people into military zones, most commonly known as internment camps.
同时这份行政命令还把其中部分或全部的人驱往军区，通常这被称作拘留营。
Beginning in the early 1960s, each president has issued roughly 300 executive orders, but FDR issued over 3,500.
从20世纪60年代初开始，每任总统大概发布300份行政命令，但罗斯福总统发布的超过了3500份。
At the other end of the spectrum, William Henry Harrison never issued an executive order,
而另一个极端是，威廉·亨利·哈里森总统从未发布过任何行政命令，
probably because his presidency only lasted 31 days.
大概是因为他在任只有短短的31天。
The U.S. Constitution is somewhat ambiguous on the extent of the president's power.
美国宪法对总统权力的定义有些模糊。
That's resulted in executive orders expanding over time.
这导致了行政命令的权力逐渐增大。
For instance, since Lyndon Johnson, presidents have begun issuing orders
比如，自林登·约翰逊起，总统开始发布命令
to create faith-based initiatives, establish federal agencies, and remove barriers for scientific research.
来制定信仰方面的举措，建立联邦机构，让科学研究有更多自由。
There are checks and balances in the U.S. political system.
美国的政治制度有制衡机制。
Congress can pass laws to counteract executive orders, and judges can halt them by deeming them unconstitutional.
国会可以通过法律来抵制行政命令，而法官可以通过认定违宪来阻止。
But in the time it takes for those things to happen,
但以上事情需要时间实行，
an executive order can go into effect and possibly change the course of history, for better or for worse.
而在此期间行政命令已经生效，并可能往好或坏的方向改变历史进程。