A guide to Trump's first 17 executive orders

From reauthorizing the construction of contentious pipeline projects to halting the progression of former President Obama's pending regulations, some of President Trump's executive actions have sparked immediate action in the federal government.

Others, such as his memorandum to the Department of Commerce asking for a review about how to require the use of U.S. steel when building pipelines, merely paved the way for potential future actions.

"The whole point of an executive order is that it can be implemented immediately," said Tommy Binion, director of policy outreach at the Heritage Foundation. "There are broader policies that some of the executive orders indicate are coming, but as far as what's actually contained in the executive orders themselves, we should expect that to be immediate."

While Trump's sweeping policy changes are consistent with his campaign promises, they won't all lead to immediate shifts and they don't all carry the same significance.

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