The flurry of executive orders and pronouncements in the early days of the Trump administration suggests that the administration finds few limits to its ability to act unilaterally. While the executive order proposing to end “birthright citizenship” got the most attention initially, the President has issued more than 50 such orders, and many of these have in common a desire to exert control over policies and processes, independent of action by the other two branches.
In addition to executive orders, the administration has taken several other steps consistent with a view of expanded Presidential power under what is called the “unitary executive” theory. Most notable among these other actions has been the removal of officials either as an act of retribution or simply to replace individuals with those more sympathetic to the priorities of the President. (The case of encouraging federal employees to resign by promising to pay them through September 30th seems clearly to be motivated by the latter.)