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Executive Orders Historical Archive
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Executive Order 12058 🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority Constitutional Neutral (+0.02) 📜 10th Amend: Intergovernmental Federalism Cooperation

Executive Order 12058—Nuclear Non-Proliferation

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Thursday, May 11, 1978
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3 min read (567 words)

Executive Brief • At a Glance

⏱️ 3 min read (567 words) • ● In Effect
🎯 Primary Mandate

The following functions vested in the President by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 120, 22 U.S.C. 3201 ), hereinafter referred to as the Act, and by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), hereinafter referred to as the 1954 Act, are delegated or assigned to the Secretary of Energy: (a) That function vested by Section 402(b) of the Act (92 Stat. 145, 42 U.S.C. 2153a).

⚖️ Constitutional Footing
🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority
Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
📜 10th Amend: Intergovernmental Federalism Cooperation
🏛️ Scope & Affected Sectors
Sovereign State Governments & Localities Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants Private Citizens & Property Owners

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 May 11, 1978, this order concerns Nuclear Non-Proliferation. Department of Energy. The following functions vested in the President by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 120, 22 U.S.C. 3201 ), hereinafter referred to as the Act, and by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), hereinafter referred to as the 1954 Act, are delegated or assigned to the Secretary of Energy: (a) That function vested by Section 402(b) of the Act (92 Stat.…

Constitutional Assessment: Reviewed under the Tenth Amendment and the principle of dual federalism, this order touches upon domains traditionally reserved to the sovereign States. The Framers would caution against any attempt to commandeer state officers or displace local police powers through federal executive fiat.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

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The following functions vested in the President by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 120, 22 U.S.C. 3201 ), hereinafter referred to as the Act, and by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), hereinafter referred to as the 1954 Act, are delegated or assigned to the Secretary of Energy: (a) That function vested by Section 402(b) of the Act (92 Stat. 145, 42 U.S.C. 2153a).

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The Secretary of State shall be responsible for performing the following functions vested in the President: (a) Those functions vested by Sections 104(a), 104(d), 105, 403, 404, 407, and 501 of the Act (92 Stat. 122, 123, 123, 146, 147, 148, and 148, 22 U.S.C. 3223 (a), 3223(d), 3224, and 42 U.S.C. 2153b, 2153c, 2153e, and 22 U.S.C. 3261).

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That function vested by Section 131c of the 1954 Act (92 Stat. 129, 42 U.S.C. 2160(c)); except that, the Secretary shall not waive the 60-day requirement for the preparation of a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Assessment Statement for more than 60 days without the approval of the President.

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The Secretary of Commerce shall be responsible for performing the function vested in the President by Section 309(c) of the Act (92 Stat. 141, 42 U.S.C. 2139a).

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners

Policy Areas & Topics

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The Framers' Constitutional Council

1787 Prism

Evaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.

🏛️✅ Zone 1 (Maximum Authority)
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"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."

— Justice Robert H. Jackson, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
JM

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.

Madisonian Stance: Concurring (Statutory)
AH

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.

Hamiltonian Stance: Supportive of Execution
GM

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.

Anti-Federalist Stance: Eternal Vigilance Required
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Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions

An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.

🛡️ High Constitutional Concordance
28 / 100 friction index
Dimension 1 • Art. I, §1 & §8

Legislative Encroachment & Purse

Low Friction

Operates within delegated statutory execution without modifying legislative appropriations or taxing powers.

Benchmark: Power of the purse, taxes/tariffs, and rule of law reserved to Congress.
Dimension 2 • Art. II, §1 & §3

Executive Scope & Faithfulness

Moderate Friction

Directs internal executive branch machinery, agency workflows, and federal personnel.

Benchmark: Faithfully execute laws enacted by Congress vs. unilateral decree.
Dimension 3 • 10th Amendment

Federalism & State Sovereignty

Moderate Friction

Engages state and local partners in cooperative federalism programs.

Benchmark: Police powers and un-delegated responsibilities reserved to the States.
Dimension 4 • 5th & 14th Amendments

Due Process & Individual Rights

Low Friction

Focuses on internal governmental operations with no direct impairment of private rights or property.

Benchmark: Protection of private property, contracts, liberty, and procedural justice.
Dimension 5 • Separation of Powers

Youngstown Jacksonian Tier

Low Friction

The President operates strictly as the constitutional Chief Executive, carrying out policy established by Congress with strong statutory backing.

Benchmark: Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
⚖️ Audit Synthesis

This order operates in close harmony with statutory authority and standard Article II supervisory execution.

Weighted composite: Art. I (25%), Art. II (25%), Federalism (15%), Due Process (15%), Youngstown (20%).
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How to read these dimensions: Executive power expands whenever an administration acts without explicit statutory authorization from Congress (Article I), touches upon police powers historically reserved to the states (Tenth Amendment), or limits private rights and property without judicial process. A low friction score indicates strict concordance with enacted law; a high friction score highlights orders testing the limits of presidential discretion.
Total Words
567
3,319 characters
Estimated Read Time
3 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
7.9
Grade 8
Language Tone Score
+0.02
Constitutional Neutral
How is this scored?
Text size:

Official Archival Text

View Source Document

FUNCTIONS RELATING TO NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-242, 92 Stat. 120, 22 U.S.C. 3201) and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), and Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. Department of Energy. The following functions vested in the President by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 (92 Stat. 120, 22 U.S.C. 3201 ), hereinafter referred to as the Act, and by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), hereinafter referred to as the 1954 Act, are delegated or assigned to the Secretary of Energy: (a) That function vested by Section 402(b) of the Act (92 Stat. 145, 42 U.S.C. 2153a). (b) Those functions vested by Sections 131a(2)(G), 13lb(1), and 131f(2) of the 1954 Act (92 Stat. 127, 42 U.S.C. 2160). (c) That function vested by Section 131f(1) (A)(ii) of the 1954 Act to the extent it relates to the preparation of a detailed generic plan. SEC. 2. Department of State. The Secretary of State shall be responsible for performing the following functions vested in the President: (a) Those functions vested by Sections 104(a), 104(d), 105, 403, 404, 407, and 501 of the Act (92 Stat. 122, 123, 123, 146, 147, 148, and 148, 22 U.S.C. 3223 (a), 3223(d), 3224, and 42 U.S.C. 2153b, 2153c, 2153e, and 22 U.S.C. 3261). (b) That function vested by Section 128a(2) of the 1954 Act (92 Stat. 137, 42 U.S.C. 2157(a) (2)). (c) That function vested by Section 601 of the Act to the extent it relates to the preparation of an annual report. (d) The preparation of timely information and recommendations related to the President's functions vested by Sections 126, 128b, and 129 of the 1954 Act (92 Stat. 131, 137, and 138, 42 U.S.C. 2155, 2157, and 2158). (e) That function vested by Section 131c of the 1954 Act (92 Stat. 129, 42 U.S.C. 2160(c)); except that, the Secretary shall not waive the 60-day requirement for the preparation of a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Assessment Statement for more than 60 days without the approval of the President. SEC. 3. Department of Commerce. The Secretary of Commerce shall be responsible for performing the function vested in the President by Section 309(c) of the Act (92 Stat. 141, 42 U.S.C. 2139a). SEC. 4. Coordination. In performing the functions assigned to them by this Order, the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of State shall consult and coordinate their actions with each other and with the heads of other concerned agencies. SEC. 5. General Provisions. (a) Executive Order No. 11902 of February 2, 1976, entitled "Procedures for an Export Licensing Policy as to Nuclear Materials and Equipment," is revoked. (b) The performance of functions under either the Act or the 1954 Act shall not be delayed pending the development of procedures, even though as many as 120 days are allowed for establishing them. Except where it would be inconsistent to do so, such functions shall be carried out in accordance with procedures similar to those in effect immediately prior to the effective date of the Act. JIMMY CARTER The White House, May 11, 1978. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:26 a.m., May 15, 1978]

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 12,058 (May 11, 1978), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-12058-nuclear-non-proliferation.