Triangles 

David Christian Toepfer 

POL 201

 01/10/14

            As far as I understand the iron triangle model in which policy-making works In cahoots with Congress, the bureaucracy, and interest groups, is as follows: The Iron Triangle is a phrase that represents the way In which certain working relationships are formed between the bureaucracy and Congress alike; for the purposes of appeasing the same goals or interests. Which in turn involve the interest groups associated with the first two entities (Levin-Waldman, 2012).

From information I have attained in reading the literature provided within the assigned resources tab, I have gained that the Military-Industrial Complex seems to be an Iron Triangle within itself to say the least. Congress is acting in cahoots with the bureaucracy as well as the military interest groups. The largest would be that of the Lockheed Martin Company; which is the Pentagons largest contractor. “They got $29 billion in Pentagon awards, which is about $6 billion more than the next company” (Huey-Burns, 2011, Para 3). The Lockheed Martin Company is responsible for the vast majority of the most technologically advanced weaponry for the United States military there is around. They have been scrutinized for corruption and have many controversial programs (Huey-Burns, 2011). President Eisenhower to many people’s surprise actually warned us of this Military-Industrial Complex within his farewell address. He spoke of the different councils within government collectively being vigilant in not falling prey to unwarranted influence. He expanded upon this by adding that the guard that must be present against the Military-Industrial Complex specifically along with any and all other unwarranted influence/s (Newton, 2010).

My personal opinion in regards to defense spending and the role in which these different Iron Triangles play within this whole financial rollercoaster is as follows: I don’t believe that companies such as Lockheed Martin need to be receiving such drastic amounts of government funding as I stated previously in this post (Huey-Burns, 2011). These Iron Triangles are scapegoats and collaborative efforts to fund special interest groups without trouble.

References

Levin-Walman, O.M. (2012). American Government, San Diego CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPOL201.12.1

Newton, J. (2010, Dec 20). IKE'S SPEECH. The New Yorker, 86, 42. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/821301027?accountid=32521

Huey-Burns, C. (2011, 01). The modern military-industrial complex. U.S.News & World Report, , 1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/852690642?accountid=32521