Executive Order 13702-Creating a National Strategic Computing Initiative
Issued 2015-07-29 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
On July 29, 2015, President Obama signed an executive order creating the National Strategic Computing Initiative to coordinate how the federal government invests in and develops high-performance computing technology. The initiative brings together multiple federal agencies to work with private companies and universities on advancing supercomputer capabilities. The order states that investment in high-performance computing has contributed to economic prosperity and scientific discovery, and that staying at the leading edge of this technology is important for innovation and competitiveness with other nations.
The initiative sets five specific goals, including building an "exascale" computing system that would be roughly 100 times more powerful than the systems available in 2015, and preparing for future computing advances beyond current semiconductor technology limits. The order emphasizes collaboration between government, industry, and academia, with each sector contributing its particular strengths to maximize benefits for the United States.
The constitutional basis for this order rests on the President's authority to manage the executive branch. Creating advisory bodies and coordinating existing agencies falls within presidential power, though the limits of that authority can be debated when it comes to restructuring agencies or creating new entities with independent regulatory powers.
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Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13702 ("Executive Order 13702-Creating a National Strategic Computing Initiative") restructures or establishes federal entities. The stated purpose: "maximize the benefits of HPC for economic competitiveness and scientific discovery, the United States Government must create a coordinated Federal strategy in HPC research, development, and deployment." 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).
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2015 Executive Order 13702—Creating a National Strategic Computing Initiative July 29, 2015 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to maximize benefits of high-performance computing (HPC) research, development, and deployment, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. In order to maximize the benefits of HPC for economic competitiveness and scientific discovery, the United States Government must create a coordinated Federal strategy in HPC research, development, and deployment. Investment in HPC has contributed substantially to national economic prosperity and rapidly accelerated scientific discovery. Creating and deploying technology at the leading edge is vital to advancing my Administration's priorities and spurring innovation. Accordingly, this order establishes the National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI). The NSCI is a whole-of-government effort designed to create a cohesive, multi-agency strategic vision and Federal investment strategy, executed in collaboration with industry and academia, to maximize the benefits of HPC for the United States. Over the past six decades, U.S. computing capabilities have been maintained through continuous research and