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Why do legislatures delegate rule-making powers to administrative agencies?

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lampoon of Interstate Commerce Commission — Administrative law Cartoon depicting a uniformed Interstate Commerce Commission officer shining a large searchlight on U.S. railroad executive Edward Henry Harriman, who is struggling to carry a large load of packages and toy trains, some labeled “merger.”

Legislatures delegate rule-making powers to administrative agencies primarily because modern governance requires addressing complex issues that are too technical, detailed, or subject to frequent change to be managed effectively through the main body of legislation.1

By delegating this authority, legislatures allow agencies to apply specialized scientific, technical, or administrative expertise to implement broad policy goals. This delegation serves an important practical purpose, as agencies can address problems more quickly and in greater detail than a legislative body could.2

While this practice is an inevitable feature of modern government, it is essential that these powers are exercised within a framework of legal safeguards. Because agencies are unelected and combine executive, legislative, and judicial functions, their actions are subject to oversight by Congress and review by the judiciary to prevent the abuse of power and ensure adherence to the aims of the parent statute.12