Abstract

This paper develops a disciplined analytical sequence for evaluating federal agency action: statute, delegation, procedure, record, finality, and review. Federal administrative law is frequently approached as a body of substantive outcomes rather than as a system of authority, process, and accountability. The paper develops a repeatable primary-source research methodology through which conclusions concerning agency authority, procedure, administrative records, finality, and judicial review remain traceable to statutes, regulations, administrative materials, and judicial authority.