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Oversight is an implied rather than an enumerated power under the U.S. Constitution. [2] The government's charter does not explicitly grant Congress the authority to conduct inquiries or investigations of the executive, to have access to records or materials held by the executive, or to issue subpoenas for documents or testimony from the executive.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 20 January 2025. Bicameral legislature of the United States For the current Congress, see 119th United States Congress. For the building, see United States Capitol. This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being ...
For the 118th Congress, Republicans changed the name to "Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The 119th Congress changed the name back to Committee on Oversight and Government Reform when Republicans won a Government trifecta during the [2024 United States elections]. Since 2007, it has simply been called the "Oversight Committee" for short.
Hearings also ensure that the executive branch's execution goes with legislative intent, while administrative policies reflect the public interest. Oversight hearings often seek to improve the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of government operations. A significant part of a committee's hearings workload is dedicated to oversight.
They also have oversight responsibility to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions. Most standing committees recommend funding levels—authorizations—for government operations and for new and existing programs. A few have other functions.
One congressional power is oversight of other branches of the government. In the early 1970s, the Senate investigated the activities of President Richard Nixon regarding Watergate which led to the president's resignation. One of the foremost legislative functions of the Congress is the power to investigate and to oversee the executive branch.
In 1883, the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ended the spoils system and established a permanent civil service system in the federal government. The establishment of the Civil Service Commission marked a shift in government toward commission oversight in government rather than oversight by individual executives. [112]
The U.S. government is based on the principles of federalism, republicanism and democracy, in which power is shared between the federal government, state governments, and the people. It is a mixed system, neither pure republic nor pure democracy, often described as a democratic republic, representative democracy, or constitutional republic.