A major reason for the rise of administrative agencies was the combination of social and economic problems created by the industrialization of the United States that began in the late 19th century. Because legislative bodies typically lacked the time and expertise to address these issues on an ongoing basis, the creation of specialized, expert agencies was almost inevitable. Administrative agencies gain the ability to legislate through a delegation (or grant) of power by the legislature. Agencies are normally created by a statute that specifies the areas in which the agency can legislate and the scope of its power in each area. Often, these statutory delegations are worded so broadly that the legislature has, in effect, simply highlighted a problem and given the agency broad powers to address it.