The executive branch
Administrative Procedure Act
The 1946 law that sets the ground rules for agency action: how rules are made, how hearings run, and when courts can strike agency decisions.
In full
The APA is the constitution of the administrative state. It requires notice-and-comment for most rules, guarantees judicial review for people harmed by agency action, and instructs courts to set aside agency acts that are 'arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law.'
Also written as: apa
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.