When Trump signs bills into law, he objects to scores of provisions. Here’s what that means.

Many presidents issue signing statements. If Trump’s statement is different from his predecessors’ in any way, it’s that he’s returning to a pattern set by President George W. Bush that had been set aside by President Barack Obama. Our research into signing statements from FDR forward indicates that they serve many purposes. Signing statements are used to:

• get the attention of the press and the public,
• shape views about legislative accomplishments and who deserves credit,
• influence the courts by offering the president’s interpretation and understanding of various provisions,
• instruct and guide bureaucrats, and
• highlight provisions the president feels are constitutionally problematic.

[Evans is assistant professor and director of undergraduate studies in the department of politics and international relations at Florida International University. Marshall is professor and assistant chair of the department of political science at Miami University.]