Issued 2012-02-09 by Barack Obama
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
In February 2012, President Obama created the President's Global Development Council, an advisory body set up within the United States Agency for International Development. The council includes up to 12 private citizens appointed by the president, drawn from universities, nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and private industry, along with senior officials from the State Department, Treasury, Defense Department, USAID, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation serving as non-voting members. Members serve two-year terms and can be reappointed.
The council's job is to advise the president and senior officials on development policy and programs. It focuses on finding innovative approaches to development with proven impact, particularly on sustainable economic growth and good governance, identifying opportunities for collaboration between government and the private sector, and providing recommendations on best practices. The council reports through the National Security Staff and the National Economic Council staff.
The executive order states that this policy treats development as "a core pillar of American power" alongside diplomacy and defense, with the goal of advancing national security objectives including security, prosperity, universal values, and international order. The order's constitutional standing depends on whether it simply creates a White House advisory body, which falls within the president's authority to manage the executive branch, or attempts to restructure agencies in ways that might conflict with laws Congress has already passed.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13600 ("Executive Order 13600-Establishing the President's Global Development Council") restructures or establishes federal entities. The stated purpose: "and elevate development as a core pillar of American power and chart a course for development, diplomacy, and defense to reinforce and complement one another." The President has authority to manage the executive branch under Article II, including creating task forces, councils, and working groups within the White House. However, creating independent agencies with binding regulatory authority, or fundamentally restructuring congressionally created departments, typically requires legislative authorization.
The Reorganization Act historically provided a framework for executive reorganization subject to congressional review. Current reorganization authority is more limited. The constitutionality depends on whether this order creates White House advisory bodies (acceptable) or attempts to restructure agencies in ways that conflict with their enabling statutes (questionable).
Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 Executive Order 13600—Establishing the President's Global Development Council February 9, 2012 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. To help protect national security and further American economic, humanitarian, and strategic interests in the world, it is the policy of the Federal Government to promote and elevate development as a core pillar of American power and chart a course for development, diplomacy, and defense to reinforce and complement one another. As stated in the 2010 National Security Strategy and the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, the successful pursuit of development is essential to advancing our national security objectives: security, prosperity, respect for universal values, and a just and sustainable international order. The effectiveness of this development policy will depend in large measure on how we engage with partners, beneficiaries of our development assistance, and stakeholders. We will use evidence-based decision-making in all areas of U.S. development policy and programs, and we com