The Iron Triangle establishes relationships between the most influential and informed groups in specific sectors affecting the nation. Improved communication between these groups can grease the wheels of policymaking and sometimes translate into a faster and cheaper public good.

The economic stimulus of having the private sector produce tools of war is well documented. Many economists and historians believe that World War II is the real reason the Great Depression ever ended (instead of FDR's New Deal). None of the other options are considered a benefit of this system (in fact, most of them are drawbacks of the system).

The US has what many consider a ridiculously disproportionate military budget, which is at least partially a result of powerful defense group lobbying. Such spending has increased radically, since World War II, widely considered the beginning of the Military-Industrial Complex era.

While many of these answers sound plausible, the golden parachute generally refers to when a politician involved in an Iron Triangle is promised a well-paying job after his or her stay in government in exchange for political favors. This sometimes also works the other way, with government positions being awarded to generous lobbyists. The idea is that someone can "jump" from the public sector to the private and "settle" comfortably in financial terms.

While the other options may have some effect, they're either unlikely to be effective or won't dismantle the entire Iron Triangle. Only electing politicians that will reject the influence of special interest groups may be a difficult task, but it would be most effective at reducing the power of an Iron Triangle. The principle here, is that the Iron Triangle is quite strong against external influences, and must change from the inside.

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. 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). While the Military-Industrial Complex is often considered an example of an Iron Triangle, Iron Triangle is the best choice here.

Issue Networks are collections of people and groups that influence the government for a single issue, often compensating Congress and government agencies with donations or electoral support. Soft Power refers to the use of economic and other non-violent means of influence. Federalism refers to a system that is divided by a federal (national) government and regional (for instance, state) governments, like the US government. PAC is an acronym of Political Action Committee (special interest groups).

A Unitary State, in contrast with a Federalist or Confederal state, is a state that is dominated exclusively by the central Federal government. Many of the modern European powers are Unitary States, but the United States of America is a Federal state, where powers are shared between the central government and the states.

Categorical grants issued by the United States government are issued with a fixed and narrow purpose in mind. The money is given to local or state governments under the assurance that it will be used for a specific purpose decided at the Federal level, often education. They differ from block grants, which offer the local or state government a much broader scope for the use of the money.

Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against the dangers of the military-industrial complex in his farewell speech given on January 17, 1961. Eisenhower's critique of the military-industrial is considered particularly resonant, and informed, since he was, prior to his political career, a five-star general and the supreme commander of the Allied forces during the invasion of Nazi Europe.