Final answer:
Executive orders can be both beneficial and harmful due to the bypassing of the legislative process. They allow for quick action but can also be seen as undemocratic.
Step-by-step explanation:
Executive orders are beneficial in some cases, but they can also be harmful due to the bypassing of the normal legislative process. On the positive side, executive orders can enable quick and decisive action by the president in times of emergencies or when there is a need for immediate action. However, they can be seen as undemocratic since they do not go through the extensive debate and voting process that regular laws do, potentially bypassing the checks and balances system. For example, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order that played a significant role in abolishing slavery during the Civil War.
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