The Nondelegation Doctrine as a Canon of Avoidance Author(s): John F. Manning Source: The Supreme Court Review, Vol. 2000 (2000), pp. 223-277 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3109680 . Accessed: 21/10/2014 12:35 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. The University of Chicago Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Supreme Court Review. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 71.65.244.36 on Tue, 21 Oct 2014 12:35:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions JOHN F. MANNING THE NONDELEGATION DOCTRINE AS A CANON OF AVOIDANCE The SupremeCourt has oftendeclared that Congress cannot val- idlydelegate its legislativeauthority to the executive.1Rather than overturningadministrative statutes on that ground,however, the Court has long enforcedthe nondelegationdoctrine by narrowly construingadministrative statutes that otherwiserisk conferring unconstitutionallyexcessive agency discretion.2 The nondelegation doctrine,in other words, now operates exclusivelythrough the interpretivecanon requiringavoidance of serious constitutional questions.This resultis oftenhailed as a successfulway to recon- cile severalcompeting concerns.3 First, the Court recognizesthat the nondelegationdoctrine serves important constitutional inter- ests, includingthe promotionof legislativeresponsibility for so- ciety's basic policy choices4and the preservationof a carefully JohnManning is Michael I.