How does legislative control impact agency power?

Legislative control significantly impacts an agency's power, particularly through the authority to allocate or restrict funding. When a legislature, such as Congress in the United States, exercises its power to set budgets, it can effectively influence an agency's operations and priorities. If funding is restricted or contingent upon certain conditions, the agency may be limited in the scope of its activities, the staff it can hire, or the programs it can implement. This financial oversight ensures that agencies remain accountable to the legislative body, aligning their goals with broader policy objectives established by elected representatives.

The restrictions on funding may compel agencies to adjust their regulatory approaches or reduce certain initiatives, which highlights the critical relationship between legislative power and the administrative discretion that agencies typically exercise. This dynamic ensures that the objectives of elected officials are reflected in the activities and priorities within the agencies, thereby establishing a system of checks and balances in governance.