Final answer:
Congressional oversight has increasingly become a tool of partisan politics, with both Republican and Democrat members using it to promote their political goals. The oversight power is intended to check the executive branch's power, but partisanship has led to a more combative application of this power. Governance structures in parliamentary systems offer a different oversight dynamic with the minority party playing a central role.
Step-by-step explanation:
Recent years have seen congressional oversight power increasingly utilized as a tool for partisan politics. This trend can be traced back to heightened partisanship that began in the 1980s. Both Republicans and Democrats have used oversight to achieve political aims, rather than simply ensuring the accountability and efficiency of government agencies and the executive branch. An example would include the times when Congress, led by another party than the President's, uses its powers to either support or challenge the executive's actions, as seen during various U.S. administrations.
Congress has the authority to control funding and approve presidential appointments, which empowers it to apply oversight of the federal bureaucracy. This oversight role is designed to prevent any one institution from accumulating too much power and exerting undue influence. However, with the legislature and executive potentially being from different political parties, the pursuit of oversight can sometimes become a battleground for partisan disputes rather than a straightforward check on power.
Oversight dynamics differ in parliamentary systems, where the majority party can limit the minority party's oversight efforts if it has strong public support. Unlike the presidential system of the United States, where the separation of powers is a fundamental principle, in parliamentary systems, the executive is a part of the legislature, which creates a different oversight dynamic focused on minority party strategies and public opinion.