Final answer:
Quasi-legislative powers refer to the authority of a body or official to create regulations with the force of law, without going through the formal legislative process. These powers allow for the detailed development and implementation of broad legislation, often delegated to specialized agencies or branches of government.
Step-by-step explanation:
To have quasi-legislative powers means that a body or an official has been granted the authority to create rules and regulations that have the effect of law, though they are not passed by a formal legislative process.
This can include agencies or branches of government other than the legislature, such as executive agencies or even non-governmental bodies, which are empowered to fill in the details of broad legislation passed by an official legislature. There are several examples of this in practice:
- The power of the purse is a key legislative power that involves controlling the allocation of government funds.
- Governors might have the authority to veto legislation or have additional veto powers, such as the line-item veto, amendatory veto, and reduction veto, effectively allowing them to influence legislation.
- Legislative deference, when legislatures surrender some of their powers to other branches of government, can result in those bodies exercising quasi-legislative powers.
Quasi-legislative powers are significant as they enable efficient governance, especially when dealing with detailed or technical matters that require specific expertise.