An independent regulatory agency a. must exist on a temporary basis
b. works for the legislative branch
c. is part of the executive branch
d. creates new federal legislation

Your answer should be C: is part of the executive branch

Explanation:

Independent regulatory agencies are federal agencies created by an act of Congress that are independent of the executive departments. Though they are considered part of the executive branch, these agencies are meant to impose and enforce regulations free of political influence. Hope this helped :)

if i am correct the answer is going to be a) the federal program of reconstruction ended.