Final answer:
The process by which regulatory agencies determine the application of laws by Congress is called rulemaking. These agencies create detailed guidelines and standard operating procedures for policy implementation, often with opportunities for public input.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which regulatory agencies decide what the laws passed by Congress mean and how they should be carried out is called rulemaking. When legislation authorizing a new program is passed, bureaucracies are tasked with enacting it but often find gray areas that are not explicitly covered. In such cases, they undergo a process to stipulate details such as how the policies, regulations, and programs will be implemented within their agencies. This complex process usually entails the creation of procedural guidelines or standard operating procedures that lower-level bureaucrats must follow.
Regulatory agencies also have the responsibility of policy analysis within their respective domains, and they must do so while allowing public input per the requirements of law. These agencies span a wide range of functions, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all of which have different purviews like worker safety, food safety, and environmental protection.