Final answer:
Legislative oversight is the process by which Congress reviews the actions of bureaucratic agencies to ensure they are in line with legislative intent, which helps maintain checks and balances within the government.
Step-by-step explanation:
Legislative oversight refers to the process by which Congress reviews the actions of governmental departments and agencies. This involves regular monitoring and evaluating the actions of the bureaucratic agencies to ensure that they comply with legislative intent. Oversight activities include holding hearings, scrutinizing the annual summaries of agency activities, inspecting budgets, and confirming presidential appointments, among other responsibilities. It serves as a crucial check on the power of the executive branch, maintaining the balance of power and preventing any single branch from securing too much influence. Congress is particularly empowered in this role due to its control over federal funding and its responsibility to approve executive appointments.
Tools like the Government Accountability Office (GAO) aid Congress in performing its oversight functions. The GAO operates in a nonpartisan manner and creates reports to inform Congress on budgetary issues and to evaluate the performance of various departments, which helps maintain governmental accountability. The legislative branch also influences the executive through the appropriations process, assigning funding to various agencies for the implementation of policy.