Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 1937-08-31, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Excusing Federal Employees from Duty on September 17, 1937." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.
Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪On Friday, September 17, 1937, the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States, the several executive departments, independent establishments, and other governmental agencies in the District of Columbia, including the Government Printing Office and the Navy Yard and naval stations, shall be closed at 1 o'clock pm.
▪For the purpose of this order, in establishments or agencies in which the employees work in shifts such employees shall, subject to the foregoing provisions, be excused from duty after four hours of work on the said day.
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments
🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners
Total Words
236
1,456 characters
Estimated Read Time
1 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
22.7
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
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Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 7700, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Aug 31, 1937). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-7700-excusing-federal-employees-from-duty-september-17-1937.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. On Friday, September 17, 1937, the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States, the several executive departments, independent establishments, and other governmental agencies in the District of Columbia, including the Government Printing Office and the Navy Yard and naval stations, shall be closed at 1 o'clock pm. or at such other hour as they, under their regulations, regularly close on Saturdays; and all employees in the Federal service in the District of Columbia and in the field service of the executive departments, independent establishments, and other agencies of the Government, except those who may for special public reasons be excluded from the provisions of this order by the heads of their respective departments, establishments, or agencies, or those whose absence from duty would be inconsistent with the provisions of existing law, shall be excused from duty on that day after the hour at which the departments, establishments, or agencies in which they work are closed in accordance with this order. 2. For the purpose of this order, in establishments or agencies in which the employees work in shifts such employees shall, subject to the foregoing provisions, be excused from duty after four hours of work on the said day. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, August 31, 1937.
