Discuss the four most important limitations on the power of federal administrative agencies

Answer 1

The four most important limitations on the power of federal administrative agencies are: statutory control; political control; judicial review; and informational control. Statutory control exists through enabling legislation, which may limit an agency to the use of formal rulemaking or may limit the issues the agency may investigate. The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) also imposes controls. Political control may be exercised by the President or Congress. Control by the President is greatest with executive agencies. Congress controls through funding and through the power to approve presidential nominees to head agencies. Businesses or individuals directly harmed by administrative rules, investigations, or adjudications generally have a right to have such action reviewed in federal court after taking all possible appeals within the agency itself. Informational control has been created by the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.