Control of government

Congress is constitutionally responsible for tariffs, as Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants the legislative branch the power to lay and collect duties and regulate foreign commerce. However, Congress has delegated significant authority to the Executive Branch (the President) to impose or adjust tariffs through various laws, particularly for national security or unfair trade practices. This is normal for congress as they delegate authority to various agencies to carry out the laws they enact. Often times things go awry because congress fails to follow up on what the bureaucrats are doing. Oversight is made difficult by multiple layers of authority with 17 signatures of various levels needed to present to a cabinet minister. It is well known that congressmen often vote on bills they haven’t read so asking them to review the process many layers down is a lost cause. The government is just to big and unwieldy to keep under control and waste and fraud are rampant.