On Iron Triangles & Interest Groups

Iron triangles, comprised of government agencies, interest groups and Congress, are considered a necessary evil. All three groups have the potential of overlooking the individual citizen’s interests. Government agencies are not picked by the voters, and so the voters don’t have any power in their appointments; interest groups have massive amounts of influence and lock moderates, the majority of our nation, out of decision making; Congress, with gerrymandering and party line voting in a politically polarized atmosphere, tends not to represent the nation very well. Nonetheless, when it comes to decision making, having these three groups work together in an iron triangle seems like the most efficient way to make laws.

Interest groups have a heavy hand in our nation’s decision making. Interest groups definitely do not represent the general political beliefs of our nation, are undemocratic and disproportionately powerful. The money the government gets from these entities, however, speaks louder than any of their vices. The government needs the money received from interest groups, but at the same time, any affiliation with interest groups is dangerous. How can we untie this Gordian Knot that has pulled tight over the government?