Iron triangle in American politics and policy

Iron Triangle

Public policy in America can be neatly visualized with the Iron Triangle, in which government, special interest groups, and the bureaucratic systems interact. Congressional committees, special interest groups, and bureaucracies are the three points on the triangle, and the designator "iron" signifies the strength and immutability of the institutions and relationships between them. Iron also symbolizes the rigidity of policy making, which does not allow stakeholders or parties outside of the triangle to have a meaningful influence on decisions.

Special interest groups, as monolithic as they seem, are really composed of constituents that ultimately cast votes for politicians and who promote and shape party lines. For this reason, the needs of special interest groups are of major concern to the government -- mainly members of the legislative bodies. The bureaucrats refer to the members of government agencies, groups that are comprised of non-elected officials who nevertheless act as public servants and form strategic political alliances to promote their agendas. It is critical that bureaucrats create meaningful relationships with the politicians in congress, because the budgets of governmental agencies are determined in part by congressional activity. In exchange for agency support and funding from congress, the bureaucrats enable the intervention of special interest groups on things like contract bidding. By pleasing the special interest groups, the agencies incur the goodwill (or wrath) of congress. By pleasing congress by influencing voting behavior, the special interest groups achieve their goals. And by pleasing the agencies through financial and political support, congress ensures the triangle is ironclad.

Corruption is endemic and unavoidable in the iron triangle. Pork barrel projects are part and parcel of the iron triangle relationships. When special interest groups offer votes in exchange for support for their projects, they welcome pork barrel investments from agencies. The special interest groups are the ones with the greatest control over marketing and public relations, in the sense that these groups advertise and use other methods of communication to influence voter behavior and even alter social norms. Prime examples include the political push to legalize cannabis, and to gain marriage equality. Yet in these cases, new and grassroots special interest groups have effectively eroded some of the iron triangular relationships that had previously existed, in order to form new relationships. This is an ongoing process in American politics, as social norms and needs change. Whereas the "war on drugs" ethos reigned supreme during the Reagan administration, a more sensible approach to drugs has started to undo the connection between the DEA and related bureaucratic agencies and the lawmakers that once supported them. Now, it has become the best interest of lawmakers to side with special interest groups that support cannabis instead.