which aspect of modern society endangers the functioning of an iron triangle? course hero

by Vernie Smitham MD 3 min read

What is the Iron Triangle and why is it important?

The iron triangle created by these three groups (special interest groups, Congress and bureaucratic government agencies) is strong because of their reliance on one another to achieve their own agendas. This runs the risk of de-prioritizing citizen needs in favor of political gains.

What is the Iron Triangle theory of government?

According to the iron triangle theory, all three will work together so that all three can achieve their goals. It all comes to three relationships among the three groups. Many scholars point to the iron triangle as a source of government waste and unnecessary pork-barrel projects.

What should a project manager know about the Iron Triangle?

Overall, project managers should have clear context and understanding of the project constraints to allow decisions about the iron triangle components to be made in an informed way that projects the quality of the outcome and meets the specific quality goals of each unique project.

Why are some people suspicious of the Iron Triangle?

Many people are highly suspicious of the way money is spent in Washington, D.C. The iron triangle highlights these concerns because many of the laws that come out of iron triangle relationships are not in the nation's best interest; rather, they are in the best interest of a small group of people.

What is the iron triangle?

What is the Sierra Club's goal?

Why are special interest groups important?

Which body has a list of committees that review laws and oversee various activities within certain jurisdictions?

Who may seek to put people in place to head up the agencies whose perspectives are consistent with, or at least not?

Is the Iron Triangle bad?

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What are some examples of an iron triangle when it comes to ... - Quora

Answer: An Iron Triangle consists of three components: a political corner, a bureaucratic corner, and a constituent corner. Each supports the others, creating something of a closed system; it's stable and enduring, and highly resistant to outside pressures. In the U.S., Congressional committees ...

Example of Iron Triangle

The iron triangle is an expression coined by political scientists to describe the relationship between Congress, the bureaucracy and interest groups.

Iron Triangle in Government - Study.com

Iron Triangle Example. There are several real-world examples of the iron triangle type of government. One of the most prominent is the system commonly referred to as the military-industrial complex.

Iron Triangle: Bureaucracy And Interest Group Of Congress

The differentiators that account for the variation are the parties and Congress. Meinke then deduces from the information that the majority party in Congress exhibits a significant substantial number of members that advertise their partisan activity — “…majority party status—and possibly the strength of the party brand name—is associated with the choice.” (Meinke 860) Meinke also ...

Iron triangle (US politics) - Wikipedia

In United States politics, the "iron triangle" comprises the policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups, as described in 1981 by Gordon Adams. Earlier mentions of this ‘iron triangle’ concept are in a 1956 Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report as, “Iron triangle: Clout, background, and outlook” and “Chinks in the Iron Triangle?”

How to understand the iron triangle?

To understand the iron triangle, you've got to put yourself in the shoes of each of the actors. First, take, for example, a bureaucrat in the Department of Energy, a congressman on the Energy Committee, and a lobbyist from a major oil company, like Exxon Mobil . The bureaucrat's goal is to maintain his department's funding and thus his job. The congressman's goal is to gain re-election. The lobbyist's goal is to represent his company and get legislative bills of interest to his company passed. According to the iron triangle theory, all three will work together so that all three can achieve their goals. It all comes to three relationships among the three groups.

What is the iron triangle?

The iron triangle is a mutually beneficial, three-way relationship between Congress, government bureaucracies, and special interest lobby groups. Each group does some action that will help the other group, creating a lasting and unbreakable bond between the three.

What is the goal of a congressman?

The congressman's goal is to gain re-election. The lobbyist's goal is to represent his company and get legislative bills of interest to his company passed. According to the iron triangle theory, all three will work together so that all three can achieve their goals.

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Is the iron triangle beneficial?

Example: The iron triangle is mutually beneficial for all the parties involved, which is the same way a symbiotic relationship in nature functions.

What is the iron triangle?

The iron triangle is a give-and-take balance the project manager needs to master by manipulating variables that can change in order to allow for those that cannot. Together, balancing these three constraints can help determine the quality of the overall project. For example, if a project must be complete by a specific deadline, the scope may need to be reduced, or costs increased to accommodate additional resources or overtime. Or if a project cannot exceed a budget, the project manager may need to extend time to reduce overtime used.

What are the three constraints of a project?

Project managers work within three project constraints: budget, scope and schedule. Schedule (or time) is at the top of the model (shaped like a triangle). Scope is on the left of the triangle and budget (or cost) is on the right. Depending on the project or who is involved, each of these project constraints could be the most important to the end-user. Quality resides in the middle of the project triangle, and effective project managers must balance the ebb and flow of tradeoffs within these three constraints in order to achieve success.

Why is it important to control scope?

Controlling scope is especially critical, as adjustments to scope almost guarantee an impact to cost and time. For example, if the original request requires 10 hours of work but a stakeholder requests another addition that represents another 10 hours, it’s likely that end project costs and time will increase.

Why is the Iron Triangle used negatively?

The Iron Triangle is often used negatively to describe actions that benefit these groups personally but don't benefit the general public (such as lowering regulations for interest groups and to save money for Congressmen).

What is the biggest problem with the Iron Triangle?

Explanation: The biggest problem with the Iron Triangle is it encourages government agencies to pursue more power and funding instead of the public good.

What is the iron triangle?

Explanation: The Iron Triangle is used to describe the conspiratorial relationship between bureaucracies, congressional committees, and interest groups. These three points on the triangle often cooperate to further their own financial gains and interests.

Why are the general welfare and common good forsaken?

Correct answer: The general welfare and common good are forsaken so as to advance narrow and specific interests. Explanation: An Iron Triangle is when a bureaucratic agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee works together to advance its own agenda and act in its own interests. It is generally considered detrimental ...

What are the concerns of the military industrial complex?

There are many concerns regarding the Military-Industrial Complex, including corrupting politicians, disproportionate military spending, an incentive to wage war on others, and private corporations gaining too much control over our ability to wage war.

Does the Iron Triangle include the judiciary?

Possible Answers: It doesn't include the judiciary branch. None of these answers accurately reflect a potential downside of the Iron Triangle. It means corporations will be able to make higher profits. It increases communication between the legislative and executive branches.

What is the iron triangle?

The term " iron triangle " is a term used to describe the dynamics of policy-making between special interest groups, Congress and governmental agencies. The interrelationship between these three factions can create a self-sufficient (and sometimes corrupt) sub governmental situation in which American citizens' best interests are ignored in favor ...

What is the Sierra Club's goal?

As such, the Sierra Club lobbies to have its goals met, including passing Cap and Trade to fight global warming. Government agencies and Congress may choose to respond to the needs of the Sierra Club, even if it puts them at odds with voters on key issues such as the Keystone Pipeline.

Why are special interest groups important?

Special interest groups are a key element in the iron triangle because they can create a governmental situation in which their lobbyists have an undue influence on government. Here are some examples:

Which body has a list of committees that review laws and oversee various activities within certain jurisdictions?

The House of Representatives has a list of committees that review laws and oversee various activities within certain jurisdictions.

Who may seek to put people in place to head up the agencies whose perspectives are consistent with, or at least not?

Congress members may seek to put people in place to head up the agencies whose perspectives are consistent with, or at least not hostile to, the interests of the SIGs they count on for support.

Is the Iron Triangle bad?

These groups may, directly or indirectly, receive special favors in exchange for supporting certain regulatory changes or passing particular legislation. The impact of the iron triangle is not all bad, though. At times, special interest groups will successfully lobby to have meaningful laws passed that also advance the interests of the American people.

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