Which items are sources of authority for agents?

• A. Only Constitution
• B. Only Statutes
• C. Constitution, Statutes, Regulations
• D. Regulations and case law

Answer: (C)

Authority for agents comes from a layered legal framework. The Constitution provides the broad powers and limits of government. Statutes enacted by the legislature grant specific authority to agencies to act in particular areas. Regulations produced by those agencies implement the statutes with detailed rules and procedures. Without a statutory grant, regulations alone wouldn’t have a basis to govern behavior, and statutes without implementing regulations would be too vague to enforce. Case law guides how these statutes and regulations are interpreted and applied, shaping their practical use, but it does not by itself create the authority to act. Therefore, the formal sources of authority for agents are the Constitution, statutes, and regulations.