What Counts as an Intelligible Principle?

After 1935, the Supreme Court mostly gave up enforcing the Nondelegation Doctrine — but it didn’t give agencies unlimited power. In this episode, Gwen and Marc use relatable examples — a micromanaging homeowners association and an overzealous parks director — to explain how an “intelligible principle” keeps delegation from turning into dictatorship. From HOA lawn rules to broadband speeds, they show how Congress can give agencies discretion without letting them run wild.

They walk through real-world statutes that rely on this idea — from OSHA’s “reasonably necessary and appropriate” safety rules to the FCC’s “public interest, convenience and necessity” standard — and discuss how courts review those limits. The conversation ranges from the Benzene case and generic-drug bioequivalence to broadband definitions that evolve as technology changes ...