By Yvette Farnsworth Baker Administrative agencies are a powerful but underappreciated component of federal, state, and local government. They are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, yet they’re sometimes called the fourth branch of government. Between 2019 and 2020, Congress passed only 344 laws, while federal administrative agencies enacted 5,838 rules. Understanding administrative agencies is a critical part of advocating for ethical governance. What are federal administrative agencies? Federal administrative agencies are delegated power from the executive or legislative branch of government. They are tasked with executing and enforcing laws passed by the legislative branch. Often, when a law is passed it requires more detailed rules and guidance to be…