President Trump knows what he wants, and he is not afraid to express it: No more paper straws, only plastic. No more drag shows at the Kennedy Center. No more low-flow toilets or changes to the rules of football.

In barely three weeks back in office, Mr. Trump has made clear that he has opinions on many things in American society and that he expects in this second term to dictate his preferences in spheres of national life that go far beyond the normal boundaries observed by presidents.

The sweep of his edicts and pronouncements has been astonishing, touching the arts, sports, news media, private corporations and college campuses. At times, it seems as if it were not enough for Mr. Trump to be president of the United States. He wants to be the mayor of the District of Columbia, the editor of The Associated Press Stylebook and the H.R. director for Corporate America.

The impact has been swift and profound. Where he can, Mr. Trump has employed the power of the presidency to enact changes more extensively and expansively than has been seen in such a short time. Where he has no direct power, he has used the force of the bully pulpit to pressure others to submit, effectively compelling private entities to make changes that in theory will please him.

Companies and universities across the United States have abandoned diversity, equity and inclusion policies that he has scorned. Hollywood was reluctant to distribute an unflattering movie about his younger days while eager to promote a $40 million documentary about Melania Trump, with her as a paid executive producer. News media owners have recalibrated to avoid angering him.

Mr. Trump has never suffered from a shortage of opinions, nor a reluctance to share them. As a developer, he railed at executives who did not meet his specific demands, and as president in his first term, he often pontificated on all manner of issues.