What is the Chevron deference doctrine, and how does it affect judicial review of agency interpretations?

• A. Courts defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes that the agency administers, giving effect to the agency's expertise.
• B. Courts never defer to agency interpretations and decide de novo.
• C. Agencies must follow judicial precedents regardless of interpretation.
• D. Chevron applies only to constitutional questions.

Answer: (A)

Chevron deference means courts will defer to an agency's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute that the agency administers, recognizing the agency's specialized expertise in applying the law to its domain. The approach operates in two steps: first, if the statute's language is clear, the court must apply that clear intent and not defer to the agency; second, if the statute is ambiguous, the court asks whether the agency's interpretation is a permissible, reasonable reading of the statute. If it is, the agency's interpretation controls. This framework shapes judicial review by limiting the judiciary's role to resolving whether the statute is ambiguous and whether the agency's reading is reasonable, rather than substituting its own view when ambiguity exists. It applies to statutory interpretations and regulatory interpretations, not to constitutional questions. The other choices misstate the doctrine: it is not that courts never defer, nor that agencies must follow judicial precedents regardless of interpretation, nor that Chevron applies to constitutional questions.