Executive-branch agencies may not always enforce laws as Congress and the president prefer.This is an example of a ____________________.

Question

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The principal-agent problem arises when the principal (Congress and the president, in this case) hires an agent (executive-branch agencies) to carry out a task but the agent has incentives to act in its own interest instead of the principal's. In this case, executive-branch agencies may not enforce laws as Congress and the president prefer because the agencies may have their own priorities and goals that do not align with the preferences of the principal.

Executive-Branch Agencies May Not Always Enforce Laws as Congress and the President