Final answer:
The Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 governs how federal agencies propose rules and regulations, ensuring transparency and providing a framework for fair administrative practices. This act is critical for bureaucratic oversight and helps maintain a democratic and accountable regulatory system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act of 1946 that was established to govern the way agencies propose rules and regulations is the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The APA is a key piece of legislation that outlines how federal executive and independent agencies can create and enforce regulations.
This act ensures that agency rulemaking is transparent, providing a framework for fair administrative practices, including public notice of proposed rules, opportunities for public comment, and clear standards for agency adjudication and rulemaking. It is meant to provide a way for citizens to have bureaucratic oversight over these actions, in line with the democratic principles of accountability and responsiveness.
The APA provides a process for the public to contribute to the rulemaking process and helps to keep the actions of federal agencies in check. These regulations and the rulemaking process are published in the Federal Register ("Fed. Reg.") and are codified in the Code of Federal Regulations ("CFR"). This structured process under the APA is an essential aspect of the American regulatory environment, ensuring the actions of executive agencies are conducted in an open and fair manner.