Interstate Commerce Commission

The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC ) was created in the United States for the regulation of the railways in 1887. It existed until 1995.

Development

Founded as the Interstate Commerce Commission by the Interstate Commerce Act, a Federal law of 1887., The ICC was the first independent authority (so-called Agency) at the federal level. With the approval of the U.S. Senate, the President of the United States appointed its five members, who possessed a certain degree of independence in their decisions.

The original purpose of the ICC was the regulation of the railway traffic (and later also of the truck traffic ), such as ensuring equitable freight or the prevention of discriminatory pricing policies. From 1910 to 1934 she also regulated telephone services between the states. This responsibility was in 1934 to the newly created Federal Communications Commission over. Due to various deregulation policies of the U.S. Congress in the 1970s and 1980s, the ICC became less skills. In 1995 it was abolished. The remaining to date her responsibilities have since been perceived by the Surface Transportation Board.

Role model

It is worth mentioning that the ICC served as a model for future regulatory efforts. For example, were the Federal Trade Commission (1914), the Federal Communications Commission (1934 ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1934 ), the National Labor Relations Board (1935 ), the Civil Aeronautics Board (1940 ) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (1975 ) modeled after the ICC. This means that they are led by an independent multi-person committee. In recent decades, however, this structure is gone out of fashion: the jobs created after 1960 " Agencies " is regularly only one person before. They are also in a ministry ( "executive department" ) involved. As examples like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (1970 ), or the Transportation Security Administration (2002 ) are used.

Legal background

The U.S. federal law " Interstate Commerce Act" of 1887, which established the federal agency Interstate Commerce Commission, based on the so-called " Commerce Clause " of the U.S. Federal Constitution Article I Sect. 8 Cl. 3 of 1778. Thereafter, the federal government ( Congress), power ( legislative jurisdiction ) "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with Indian tribes. " Thus, the common U.S. domestic market ( domestic) of the 13 federal states ( Länder ) was created and the Federal Government ( Union ) received by the exclusive legislative jurisdiction, whose unity and freedom of movement beyond the boundaries of individual states away against their government interventions or those of the private sector (cartels ) eg internal border controls, to obtain partitioning of sub-markets, etc.. The old phrase " among the several States " was modernized in 1887 to " Interstate ". Deeper right end of the " Commerce Clause / Interstate " regulatory burdens is the prevention of favors and / or discrimination of individuals or states (eg, "State Children's privilege") for the purposes of enforcement of the principle of justice for all State ( Union ) citizen.

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