<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Congressional oversight is oversight by the United States Congress over the Executive Branch, including the numerous U.S. federal agencies . Congressional oversight includes the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation . Congress exercises this power largely through its congressional committee system . Oversight also occurs in a wide variety of congressional activities and contexts . These include authorization, appropriations, investigative, and legislative hearings by standing committees; specialized investigations by select committees; and reviews and studies by congressional support agencies and staff . </P> <P> Congress's oversight authority derives from its "implied" powers in the Constitution, public laws, and House and Senate rules . It is an integral part of the American system of checks and balances . </P>

Who establishes committees to oversee activities of executive branch