By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States of America, and as President of the United States of America, in accord with Section 2 of the Act approved December 23, 1975, to direct the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975, to organize and convene a National Women's Conference, and for other purposes (Public Law 94-167, 89 Stat. 1003), and in order to increase the number of members on the Commission, it is hereby ordered that Section 1 (b) of Executive Order No. 11832, as amended by Executive Order No. 11889, is amended to read as follows: "(b) The Commission shall consist of not more than 45 members to be appointed by the President from among citizens in private life, except that not more than 10 members may be officials of State or local governments. The President shall designate the presiding officer, who may designate from among the members of the Commission as many vice presiding officers as necessary.". JIMMY CARTER The White House, March 28, 1977. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:58 a.m., March 29, 1977]
Executive Order 11979—National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975
Executive Brief • At a Glance
Of Executive Order No. 11832, as amended by Executive Order No. 11889, is amended to read as follows: "(b) The Commission shall consist of not more than 45 members to be appointed by the President from among citizens in private life, except that not more than 10 members may be officials of State or local governments.
Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis
Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
Signed by President Jimmy Carter on March 28, 1977, this order concerns National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975. (b) of Executive Order No. 11832, as amended by Executive Order No. 11889, is amended to read as follows: "(b) The Commission shall consist of not more than 45 members to be appointed by the President from among citizens in private life, except that not more than 10 members may be officials of State or local governments.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
Of Executive Order No. 11832, as amended by Executive Order No. 11889, is amended to read as follows: "(b) The Commission shall consist of not more than 45 members to be appointed by the President from among citizens in private life, except that not more than 10 members may be officials of State or local governments.
The President shall designate the presiding officer, who may designate from among the members of the Commission as many vice presiding officers as necessary.".
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
Policy Areas & Topics
The Framers' Constitutional Council
1787 PrismEvaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.
"When the President acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress, his authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate."
James Madison
Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy
"The constitutional magistracy was designed not to invent policy, but to be the faithful instrument of the laws passed by the people's representatives." — Speech in the First Congress (1789)
Madison would approve the structural posture of this order. The President acts strictly in subordination to statutory authority granted under Article II, Section 3 ("take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"). The checks and balances hold firm because the policy origin remains with the legislature.
Alexander Hamilton
The Energetic Executive & Unified Command
"A feeble Executive implies a feeble execution of the government; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government." — Federalist No. 70 (1788)
Hamilton would view this directive as the natural and indispensable functioning of administrative leadership. Without the power to coordinate agencies, manage personnel, and resolve operational ambiguities, the modern presidency would be reduced to an impotent figurehead.
George Mason
Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." — 10th Amendment to the US Constitution (1791)
Mason would scrutinize whether this federal directive intrudes into police powers, land stewardship, or municipal domains historically reserved to local citizens. The Anti-Federalist demand is that federal administration must never supplant state self-governance.
Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions
An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.
Legislative Encroachment & Purse
Operates within delegated statutory execution without modifying legislative appropriations or taxing powers.
Executive Scope & Faithfulness
Directs internal executive branch machinery, agency workflows, and federal personnel.
Federalism & State Sovereignty
Creates friction with the Tenth Amendment by conditioning state grants, mandating local compliance, or preempting state police powers.
Due Process & Individual Rights
Applies regulatory or compliance standards to private contractors or commercial entities.
Youngstown Jacksonian Tier
The President operates strictly as the constitutional Chief Executive, carrying out policy established by Congress with strong statutory backing.
This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.
Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 11,979 (Mar. 28, 1977), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-11979-national-commission-the-observance-international-womens-year-1975.