A '''decree''' is a rule of [[law]] issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic), according to certain [[Policy|procedure]]s (usually established in a [[constitution]]). It has the [[force]] of [[law]]. The particular term used for this [[concept]] may vary from country to country—the [[executive]] orders made by the President of the United States, for example, are decrees (although a decree is not exactly an order). In non-legal [[English]] usage, however, the term refers to any [[Arbitrary|authoritarian]] decision and, in this sense, it is often derogatory. | A '''decree''' is a rule of [[law]] issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic), according to certain [[Policy|procedure]]s (usually established in a [[constitution]]). It has the [[force]] of [[law]]. The particular term used for this [[concept]] may vary from country to country—the [[executive]] orders made by the President of the United States, for example, are decrees (although a decree is not exactly an order). In non-legal [[English]] usage, however, the term refers to any [[Arbitrary|authoritarian]] decision and, in this sense, it is often derogatory. |