Final answer:
The Administrative Procedure Act governs agency rulemaking, providing the necessary procedural guidelines for federal administrative agencies to create and enforce rules and regulations mandated by Congress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Administrative Procedure Act is important in civil law because it governs agency rule making. This legislation provides the framework for how federal administrative agencies create and enforce the rules and regulations that implement and interpret federal statutes. Administrative agencies, which are part of the executive branch, are responsible for issuing regulations that have the force of law and can affect individuals and corporations in numerous ways.
In doing so, agencies set standard operating procedures for their internal operations and for external compliance by those regulated by the agency's rules. The APA ensures that agencies do not operate arbitrarily but follow specific procedural guidelines during rulemaking and enforcement.