The Supreme Court recently ruled to overturn the Chevron doctrine precedent that has stood since 1984.
Recent precedent reversals, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have gotten much more attention. But this change is of enormous importance, and everyone should know what it’s about.
In the 1984 Chevron ruling, an environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, sued to overturn a decision by the Reagan-era Environmental Protection Agency to ease regulation of emissions. The court ruled to uphold the EPA decision, reasoning that, unless the point of dispute had been addressed by Congress, the federal agency’s interpretation of a statute should stand.
The growth of power of federal agencies over the years following this decision has been of great concern, with many seeing the executive branch, of which federal agencies are a part, usurping both the…
