What is an executive order? A look at Trump’s tool for quickly reshaping government [Video]

Donald Trump returned to the White House ready to immediately overhaul the government using the fastest tool he has – the executive order.

He’s looked on his first day to increase domestic energy production and stop diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, among other actions.

RELATED: Trump begins slew of executive actions on economy, immigration, other programs

An incoming president signing a flurry of executive orders is standard practice. Executive orders allow a president to wield power without action from Congress. But there are also limits to what orders can achieve.

A primer on how the presidential power works and its often fleeting impact:

What are executive orders?

Basically, they are signed statements about how the president wants the federal government to be managed. They can be instructions to federal agencies or requests for reports.

Many orders can be unobjectionable, such as giving federal employees the day after Christmas off. …