Admin Law Flashcards
Standard of Review for Specific Agency Actions
Not to promulgate: deferential; promulgate: deferential; arb and cap; rescind: deferential; arb. and cap.
What makes something arb. and cap?
Failure to explain itself
4 Factor Test for Article 3 Challenges (Schor)
(1) Extent to which judiciary retains Article III powers, (2) extent to which non-Article III body exercises Article III powers, (3) origins and importance of the right to be adjudicated, (4) Congress’s reasons for departing from Article III reqs.
President Removal Powers
Implied removal power from appointment power and decision of 1789; not every justice or scholar agrees with 1789. He can remove within the executive branch but cannot remove officials performing quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial functions
Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB
Multi-layered for-cause protection from removal by the President when acting in an executive function is unconstitutional. Agency removal must abide by the accountability framework when acting in an executory function
Delegation to other branches
Legislative power: apply intelligible principle limitation; Adjudicative: If non-Article III Court, apply 4 factor Schor test
Presidential Control of Agencies
Power to Appoint; power to remove; presidential overreach–is pres. act constitutional? Apply Jackson concurrence.
Nondelegation doctrine
The non-delegation doctrine is a principle in administrative law that Congress cannot delegate its legislative powers to other entities. There must be an intelligible principle.
Intelligible Principle canned sentence
If Congress shall lay down by legislative act an intelligible principle to which the person or body authorized to exercise delegated authority is directed to conform, such legislative action is not a forbidden delegation of legislative power.
Intelligible Principle Test
Prevents a whim but affords discretion. Look at the actual text/language of the statue, sentence in context, the legislative history, preamble and the goals listed.
Delegation safeguards
Judicial review to ensure that the agency is sticking ot its intelligible principle, and APA and enabling statutes limit how an agency can do something and subejcts them to judicial review
Difference between Art. III court and non-Art. III court?
Art. III court has life tenure and salary protection. Non-Art. III court does not.
Traditional Test for unconst. delegation to non-art. III court
Formalist approach relied a lot on the public/private rights distinction. Publi right was indiviaul v. government and private right was individual v. individual. Adjudicated by an Art III court, unless non-Art. II court only engages in fact-finding
Standing
Article III of the Constitution limits judicial power to cases and controversies. The Standing Doctrine identifies those disputes which may be appropriately resolved through the judicial process. To establish standing, the plaintiff must show: (1) an injury in fact, meaning particularized and actual or imminent; (2) that there is a causal connection between the injury and the conduct complained of; and (3) that a favorable decision will likely redress the injury.
How to Fail Arbitrary and Cap. standard
agency relied on factors that Congress did not want the agency to consider, the agency failed to consider a part of the problem, the explanation given was counter to the evidence, the explanation was so implausible that it cannot be attributed to agency expertise
Mathews Balancing
The private interest of the individual, risk of erroneous deprivation by procedures used and probable value of additional safeguards, government’s interest in financial and administrative efficiency
Rulemaking v. Adjudication
Rulemaking: forward-looking to open class. Adjudication: backward and named persons
Procedural due process steps
- was there a government action? (step 0-Londoner and Bi-Metallic) 2. deprivation of protected liberty or property interest? 3. What process is due? apply Mathews Balancing
Values of Due Process
Accuracy, fit, dignity/equality
Due process minimum
notice and opportunity to be heard
notice for due process?
nature of legal issues, time and place, nature of the hearing
How does Court decide whether intelligible principle exists?
actual text, sentence in context, legislative history, goals listed in preamble, look at how statutes have been interpreted
Delegation safeguards
judicial review that ensures sticking with intelligible principle, and APA/enabling statutes that limit how agency can do something
Unconstitutional legislative veto
Const. requires bicameral approval of legislative bills and presenment of any order, resolution, or vote to President for veto
Who appoints principal officer?
Appointments clause expressly requires that principal officers be appointed by the President and approved by the Senate
Who appoints inferior officer?
Appointments Clause recognizes that inferior offiers may be appointed by the President, Courts of Law, or Heads of Departments
Distinguishing officer types
Inferior: official’s work is subject to close supervision, officer removable at will, by an officer who has been appointed by the President with the Senate’s consent.
An official with limited duties, narrow jurisdiction, and a tenure that ends when duties are discharged, also inferior?
Buckley v. Valeo
FEC officers are principal because of broad executive power to sanction and regulate political campaigns
Lucia
ALJs are principal officers subject to Appointments Clause to be classified as an officer rather than an employee, a person needs to have a “continuing” position established by law, and must exercise significant authority pursuant to eh laws of the United States
Removal of purely executive individuals
President can remove officer at will pursuant to “faithfully” execute const. clause and no statute can infringe on that. If statute imposes restriction but does not unduly trammel on Pres. “faithfully” duties, then no const. violation (Morrison)
Removal of individuals who are not purely executive
President CAN’T remove, Congress can limit Presidential removal to something like for good cause UNLESS there is a double layer
Double layer of removal not allowed
- non-purely exec agency plus a subsidiary board underneath that agency that is only removed for good cause (Free Enterprise)
Meyers v. United States
Postmaster is purely executive and was chosen by the President as subordinate to execute laws
Humphrey’s Exec
FTC was a quai-legislative and quasi-judicial agency that was designed to be insulated from partisan politics and therefore the Pres cannot remove them at will
Morrison v. Olson
Unduly trammel test–do limitations in removal unduly trammel on presidential power to execute and take care?
Free Enterprise
Double layer of good cause removal is unconstiutional
Youngstown Jackson lowest ebb
President acts against the will of Congress; his Const. powers have to outweigh the Const. powers of Congress. Courts can allow this by disabling powers from Congress; heavy scrutiny by court.
Youngstown Jackson medium ebb
President acts in absence of a congressional grant or denial of authority; concurrent authority. Any actual test of power is based on imperatives of event and the court analyzes; imperatives of the situation dictate
Youngstown strongest ebb
President acts with the express or implied authorization of Congress; power at a max. Not absolutely sustained, but usually will not be reversed by court. If it is unconstitutional, it is because no one in the federal government can do it
Two classes that are exempt from judicial review under the APA
701(a): statutes that preclude judicial review and agency action committed to agency discretion by law
Londoner
Where a legislature delegates authority to assess taxes, due process requires that before the taxes become irrevocably fized, the taxpayer has notice and opportunity to be heard
Bi-Metallic
Where a rule of conduct applies to more than a few people, it is impracticable that everyone should have a direct voice in its adoption
Substantive Rule
Force of law
APA 553
Informal rulemaking, sleek like jaguar, notice, comment, final rule, publication–“concise general statement of the rule’s basis and purpose”
Features of a rulemaking
prospective, produces a rule, general applicability, consistency over flexibility
Features of an adjudication
trial type proceeding, produces orders, specific application, flexibility over consistency, ad-hockery
Can an adjudication overturn a rule?
yes, but when it does application is only prospective
APA 556 and 557
Formal rulemaking, slow and more like a court case, notice in the form of publication in the fed. reg and then hearing on the recond, in front of an ALJ
556/557 hearing
On the record, in front of an ALJ, oral argument not required if no party would be prejudiced, parties may submit arguments, ALJ typically issues recommendation or tentative decision, agency ,ay by general rule or in specific cases make its own decision based upon the certified record befor the ALK, ALJ’s decision may be appealed to the agency
Vermont Yankee
Hybrid rule making, statute or agency policy may impose greater than 553 procedures, but courts cannot add procedures beyond minimum in APA. no monday morning QBing
Non-legislative rules
interpretive rules and general statements of policy (exempt from N&C rulemaking)
Interpretive rule
issued by an agency to advise the public of A’s construction of the statutes and rules which it administers; legal effect test from MSHA
Legal effect test (MSHA)
in the absence of the rule, no adequate legislative basis for enforcement action, published in CFR, agency explicitly invokes its leg authority, rule effectively amends a prior legislative rule
General statements of policy
Gen policy is neither the product of a RM or Adj, but rather presages an upcoming RM or announces a course of action the A intends to follow in future adj, not established binding norm
Magic words for formal rulemaking
“When rules are required by statute to be made on the record after opportunity for an agency hearing” (strictly construed, only when the statute’s language is explicit and unambiguous.
Limitations on rulemaking
ultra viers, bias, ex parte contacts, undue influence
When is a rule final?
Bennett 2 prong: action marks the consummation of the agency’s decision-making process and the action is one by which “rights or obligations have been determine” or from which legal consequences will flow
JR of fact finding
Reviewing court must consider the record as a whole, and may defer to the agency’s findings of fact only if those findings are supported by substantial evidence
What is substantial evidence?
Enough relevant evidence that a reasonable mind might accept it as adequate to support a conclusion but again must consider whole record, including contrary evidence
3 ways to attack agency action
attack reasoning as arb and cap, attack enabling statute as unconst, the agency misread enabling statute and therefore violated it; avoidance canon
4 factors that are arb. and cap
reliance on factors that Congress did not intend for the agency to consider, failure to consider an important aspect of the problem, offering an explanation for agency’s decision that ran counter to the evidence, or offering an explanation so implausible that it couldnt be ascribed to a difference in view
Officer
Anyone who exercises significant authority pursuant to the laws of the United States or who performs a significant governmental duty pursuant to the laws of the United States
Does it have force and effect of law? (legislative or nonlegislative)
- Whether in the absence of the rule there would not be an adequate legislative basis for enforcement action or other agency action to ensure performance of duties; 2. Whether the agency has published the rule in the CFR; 3. whether the agency has explicitly invoked its legislative authority; 4. whether the rule amends a prior legislative rule. If answer to any of these is yes, legislative rule.
Things that are not reviewable
agency action that is not final, agency’s choice not to enforce
Gundy non-delegation factors
statute text, context surrounding it, purpose of the statute, legislative history to interpret
Article III Vesting Clause
Judicial power of the US shall be vested in one supreme court and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish
Article II Vesting Clause
The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States
Article I Vesting Clause
All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the US
706(2)(A)
arb and cap review
706(2)(E)
substantial evidence
Scope of review
intensity in which standard of review will be applied
Bennett prong 2
“rights or obligations have been determined” or from which “legal consequences will flow.”
Nixon constitutional conflict
If legislative branch obeys the judicial branch
Where does NDD come from
Vesting Clause of Article I and N&P Clause; tri-part structure of const. also helps
Why does NDD doctrine exist
- complexity and need for expertise, 2. political accountability reasons, 3. time-consuming and laborious
Arguments for NDD with more bite
More bite group thinks that citizens are being distanced from the named branches of gov., avoid junior varsity Congress
Pro-legislative veto arguments
hold agencies accountable, get things done, provide legitimacy
Anti leg-veto arguments
anti-democratic, interferes with executive branch, drains agency of independence