Essay 15- Federal 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.

Currently, our government allows Federal bureaucratic agencies the ability to execute federal law. There are many benefits to this. For example, by allowing Federal bureaucratic agencies to execute federal law, it lets the agencies give their expertise and judgement that the government just couldn't give. Also it frees up time for the government to focus on more pressing issues and is very efficient.

An example of a bureaucratic agency is the EPA. THE EPA is centered around protecting the environment and managing the disposal of waste and chemical pollution. One example of the EPA exercising it's abilities in federal law would the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972.In this act, the EPA regulated the discharge of waste into water sources.

In order for Congress to ensure that federal agencies follow legislative intent, Congress can perform investigations into the agency's conduct. Also Congress can check the agency's budget and see what they have been spending their funding, to make everything checks out.

Scoring Rubric link: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/_ap06_gopo_us_sg.pdf