Policy and the branches of government

Oversight hearings take a lot of time and resources to be effective and Congress is too small to monitor all administrative actions directly.

Congressional hearings have no legal standing and Congress has no powers to force bureaucrats to testify before committees.

The president has the power to cancel any oversight hearings on the agenda if they feel like it will interfere with the agency’s ability to implement policy.

The separation of powers gives the judicial branch the power to hold hearings, not the legislative branch.