THERE ARE SOME REALLY INTERESTING PARALLELS HERE TO AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND THE RISE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE DURING THE 20TH CENTURY. WHAT? DURING THE 1800S, IF CONGRESS WANTED TO REGULATE SOMETHING, THEY WOULD PRETTY MUCH DO SO DIRECTLY--E.G. THEY'D PASS A LAW SAYING "IF YOU MANUFACTURE HOTDOGS, THEY MUST CONTAIN NO MORE THAN 0.1% SAWDUST" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT AS THE ECONOMY GOT MORE COMPLEX, THIS APPROACH BECAME IMPRACTICAL. THE MAIN ISSUE IS THAT GETTING 435 CONGRESSPEOPLE AND 100 SENATORS TOGETHER TO PASS A LAW IS INSANELY CUMBERSOME (AND THE US CONGRESS OPERATES ON A TIMEFRAME THAT'S EVEN SLOWER THAN SBC; IT ALSO IS UNWILLING TO ADOPT A LOT OF TECHNIQUES THAT COULD MAKE THE JOB EASIER, LIKE ALLOWING MEMBERS TO VOTE REMOTELY). MEANWHILE, THE NUMBER OF RULES REQUIRED WAS GROWING QUICKLY AS THE NUMBER OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES GREW. IN RESPONSE, CONGRESS STARTED DELEGATING MORE OF ITS POWER TO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES, RATHER THAN EXERCISING IT DIRECTLY. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE CLEAN AIR ACT--RATHER THAN SETTING LIMITS ON THE AMOUNT OF SULFUR DIOXIDE THAT FACTORIES CAN EMIT, CONGRESS SAYS TO THE EPA "DETERMINE THE LOWEST LIMIT ON SULFUR DIOXIDE THAT WE CAN FEASIBLY REQUIRE WHILE BALANCING THE GAINS FROM REGULATION AGAINST THE COSTS, AND WRITE RULES BASED ON THAT". THIS HAS LED TO A STRENGTHENING OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH (WHICH RUNS THE EPA AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES) AT THE EXPENSE OF CONGRESS. THERE'S A LOT OF AGITA OVER EXACTLY HOW MUCH AUTHORITY CONGRESS CAN/SHOULD DELEGATE, WITH VARIOUS INTERESTED PARTIES ADOPTING STANCES THAT ARE SUSPICIOUSLY IN LINE WITH THEIR PRIORITIES (IF YOU OWN A FACTORY THAT PRODUCES SULFUR DIOXIDE AS A WASTE PRODUCT, YOU'D RATHER HAVE CONGRESS HAVE TO PASS A SPECIFIC LAW BANNING IT, RATHER THAN THE EPA, BECAUSE THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT CONGRESS WON'T BE ABLE TO GET ANYTHING DONE ON THE ISSUE). AN EQUIVALENT IN SBC WOULD BE HIGHER-LEVEL META-INSTRUCTIONS TO U/GREENLASER73. RATHER THAN "PLAY CHARGE BATTERY & BUFFER AND END TURN", YOU COULD WRITE AN INSTRUCTION LIKE "GET TO THE END OF THIS FIGHT WHILE AVOIDING TAKING ANY DAMAGE AND INCREMENTING PEN NIB TO 8. ONLY ADJOURN AND RETURN TO THE SBC CONGRESS IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO FULFILL THIS REQUEST ON A GIVEN TURN." IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF AN IDEOLOGICAL SPLIT DEVELOPS, WITH SOME PEOPLE FAVORING VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS AND SOME FAVORING MORE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ONCE WE GET TO A CERTAIN POINT IN CERTAIN FIGHTS. JESSE, WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
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