Iron triangles Flashcards
(22 cards)
how do Iron triangles work on the side of congress?
funding from interest groups and pass laws benefitting interest groups, also authorise budgets for government departments
how do iron triangles work on the side of interest groups?
give valuable information to government departments, give money to congress and members, benefit from legislation passed
How do iron triangles work on the side of bureaucracy?
they gain valuable information from interest groups, gain budget annually from congressional committee.
Whats a strength of iron trinagles?
are strong- bond cannot be broken by president or public.
what is agency capture?
government departments dominated interest groups
What is clientalism?
government departments and congress committees exist to serve client- powerful interest groups.
Why are iron triangles anti- democratic?
US back gun control but congress cannot act due to NRA funding
what’s an example of a positive impact iron triangles had?
“Mothers against drunk drivers” lobbied US highway agency passed minimum drinking age act
explain the weakening influence of “Tobacco lobby”?
1950s lobbied health agenc9es supress scientific proof from smoking and lung cancer, in 1997, Clinton banned smoking in federal buildings.
defense industry example- How did the appropriations committee support the ion triangle here?
appropriations committee, passed 4 bills increasing spending for defense departments
defense industry example- how did beurcracy support the iron triangle here?
defense departments awards contracts to suppliers
2017, awarded 50.7 billion in contracts to Lockheed martin
defence industry example- how did interest groups support the iron triangle here?
2020 17 million for increased spending on defense. donating money to HoR and Senate appropriations committee
donating money to congress members.
Three features of Iron triangles in US politics- Point one?
mutually beneficial relationship between congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies.
committees pass legislation that benefit agencies and industries, agencies enforce this legislation in ways favourable to interest groups.
Example for point one of feature of Iron triangle in US politics?
Lockheed Martin one of largest defence contractors in US and key part of defence iron triangle. 2022 election cycle alone, they donated over 2.5 million to political campaigns, with significant sums going to members of House of armed services committee. Has received major defence contracts- like F-35 fighter jet programme, worth 1.7 trillion.
Analysis of point one?
relationships can undermine democratic accountability, as decisions about military spending may be driven more by political and economic interest than by necessity. Public finds are used to serve narrow interests
Three features of Iron triangles in US politics-Point 2
They can entrench existing policy and resist reform.
when all three areas benefit, there is little incentive to reform. This slows progress and protects powerful industries.
Example for point 2?
Tobacco lobby prevented effective regulation of cigarette advertising. 90s, tobacco companies like Philip Morris donated millions to sympathetic members of congress and lobbied agencies such as food and drug administration to limit anti-smoking policies.
NRA as an example for point 2?
NRA maintains strong iron triangle w members of congress and government agencies. NRA’s influence has consistently blocked gun control reforms despite repeated mass shooting and public demand for stricter regulation
Analysis for point 2?
Examples demonstrate how entrenched Iron triangles can obstruct reforms that benefit public health and safety. Power of Lobbying and financial incentives allows interest groups to dominate policy agendas, overriding democratic pressures and expert advice.
Three features of Iron triangles in US politics- point three?
Iron triangles can lead to regulatory capture, this occurs when an agency meant to oversee an industry acts on the interest of that industry. In triangles, the close relationship between regulators, lawmakers, and industry figures can blur the lines between regulation and collision.
example for point three?
Federal aviation committee- criticised for close relation w airline industry. e.g.- Boeing 737 MAX crisis- FAA regulators had delegated safety assessments to Boeing itself, contributing to 2 fatal crashes.
Analysis for point three?
Shows how regulatory capture within Iron triangles can have deadly consequences. Agencies may fail to protect public when industry interests dominate oversight processes. FAA’s credibility and the public’s trust in aviation safety were severely damaged as result.
