Congressional Oversight
Definition
Congressional oversight refers to review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation carried out by Congress. It is one way that Congress checks on how effectively executive branch agencies are implementing laws.
Analogy
Consider congressional oversight as parents checking their child's homework. The teacher (Congress) assigns homework (laws), but they need to check if their student (the executive branch) is doing it correctly and understanding it properly.
Related terms
Checks and Balances: A system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as not to have absolute power.
Executive Branch: The part of government responsible for implementing, supporting, and enforcing laws made by the legislative branch.
Legislative Branch: The part of government that creates laws.
"Congressional Oversight" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (13)
Which of the following examples demonstrates congressional oversight?
How has Congressional oversight of federal agencies evolved?
How might congressional oversight over executive agencies change if committee assignments were random rather than based on expertise?
What power does Congressional oversight afford?
What could result from Congressional oversight of executive agencies?
Why has congressional oversight over executive agencies endured?
How does congressional oversight today resemble practices during Reconstruction?
What effect did Watergate Scandal have on congressional oversight during the mid-1970s?
What factor contributes most significantly to maintaining Congressional oversight, a persistent check on Presidential power?
What common trend is seen in the relationship between federal bureaucracies and Congressional oversight?
Which action demonstrates an example of how Congressional oversight can influence rule-making authority?
How does congressional oversight serve to hold bureaucracy accountable?
How does congressional oversight play a role in holding the bureaucracy accountable?
Resources
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