The ‘iron triangle’ model is used to describe the specific complex relationships among Congress, the bureaucracy, and interest groups that can influence the policy-making process. Referring to this model, it is possible to state that interest groups are inclined to affect Congress and bureaucracy to achieve definite goals, and this triangle strengthens the impact of all the parties. This principle also works about the development of the US military-industrial complex (Levin-Waldman, 2012, p. 187).
The specific relationships among the Congress, the military bureaucracies, and defense industries depend on the aspects of the military-industrial complex’s development. The weapons contractors, military forces, and Congress influence each other while supporting the idea of national security. These parties choose to work on expensive projects while requiring an enormous budget related to military spending to complete the projects (Marotta, 1984, p. 106).
The impact of the relationships associated with the ‘iron triangle’ model on defense spending can be discussed as rather negative while focusing on the public’s interests because military spending is often significantly higher in comparison with the required levels. The focus on national security makes the Congress and bureaucracy listen more attentively to the requests of the military industries, and the intentions to support the military-industrial complex result in providing the large spending (Marotta, 1984, p. 107).
From this point, the ‘iron triangle’ model can be discussed as rather appropriate for discussing and understanding the defense spending policy because the focus on three powers which become stronger while interacting with each other is relevant to explain the principles of the military-industrial complex’s work since the 1960s (Newton, 2010, p. 42).
Reference List
Levin-Waldman, O. M. (2012). American government. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Marotta, G. (1984). The iron triangle’s impact on the federal budget. Vital Speeches of the Day, 51(4), 106-109.
Newton, J. (2010). Ike’s speech. The New Yorker, 86(41), 42.