Bureaucratic Agencies

2006-3 The United States congress and the president together have the power to enact federal law. Federal bureaucratic agencies have the responsibility to execute federal law. However, in the carrying out of these laws, federal agencies have policy making discretion.
(1) Explain two reasons why Congress gives federal agencies policy making discretion in executing federal laws.
(2) Choose one of the bureaucratic agencies listed below. Identify the policy area over which it exercises policy-making discretion and give one specific example of how it exercises that discretion.
a. Environmental Protection Agency
b. Federal Communications Commission
c. Federal Reserve board
(3) Describe two ways in which Congress ensures that federal agencies follow legislative intent.

1) Two reasons why Congress gives federal agencies policy making discretion in executing federal laws are congress does not want to be blamed for bad policy and agencies have the expertise that congress does not to create new policy.  
2) The Environmental Protection Agency exercises policy-making discretion over clean air and water laws they do this by working with companies like BP to keep our waters clean.
3) Congress ensures that federal agencies follow legislative intent by using legislative oversight and budget appropriations.


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