All AP US Government Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Iron Triangle
Why could iron triangles be considered fundamentally detrimental to a democratic society?
It takes power away from the Judiciary and places too much power in the hands of the Legislative Branch.
The general welfare and common good are forsaken so as to advance narrow and specific interests.
It renders the impact of political accountability less substantial by ensuring that incumbents nearly always get reelected.
It takes power away from the common people by negating the impact they are able to wield in senate elections.
Too much power is wielded by the Judicial Branch at the sake of the Legislative and Executive Branches.
The general welfare and common good are forsaken so as to advance narrow and specific interests.
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 to a healthy democratic process because it ignores the interests of the common good for the sake of advancing specific and narrow interests.
Example Question #1 : Iron Triangle
Which of the following is an example of an Iron Triangle?
Congress increasing funding to the Department of Agriculture in exchange for lower regulations on corn production
None of the answers are correct
Monsanto donating money to conservative congressmen
Congress passing a new budget that expands funding for several Departments
The Department of Education releasing a new policy that requires a higher Reading standard in public schools
Congress increasing funding to the Department of Agriculture in exchange for lower regulations on corn production
Congress giving more funding to the Department of Agriculture (the bureaucracy) would expand the DoA's power base. In return, agricultural lobbying groups (special interests) would gain lower regulation for their constituents. Most likely, Congress would receive electoral funding promises for its efforts. This answer best represents all three point of the Iron Triangle.
Example Question #3 : Iron Triangle
What are the possible concerns surrounding the Military-Industrial Complex?
It can hurt military self-sustainability
It encourages corruption
All of these answers are correct
It can cause unnecessary wars
It can lead to a misallocation of government resources
All of these answers are correct
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.
Example Question #4 : Iron Triangle
What about the Iron Triangle could be considered problematic?
It encourages a goal of cooperating for power instead of pursuing the public good
It increases communication between the legislative and executive branches
It means corporations will be able to make higher profits
It doesn't include the judiciary branch
None of these answers accurately reflect a potential downside of the Iron Triangle.
It encourages a goal of cooperating for power instead of pursuing the public good
The biggest problem with the Iron Triangle is it encourages government agencies to pursue more power and funding instead of the public good. Oftentimes, the Iron Triangle will even result in sacrificing the public good in exchange for power, such as lowering environmental protections in exchange for oil money donations that don't benefit the public.
Example Question #1 : Iron Triangle
What is a possible benefit of the Iron Triangle?
Decreasing the influence of interest groups on Congress
All of the answers are correct.
Increased cooperation can lead to more efficient policy change
Increasing the flow of political contributions makes for faster elections
None of the answers are correct.
Increased cooperation can lead to more efficient policy change
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.
Example Question #6 : Iron Triangle
What is a possible benefit of the Military-Industrial Complex?
A second opinion on war strategy
Improved relations with other countries
Decreased reliance on private funding for government projects
A more efficient chain of command
Improved economic growth during times of war
Improved economic growth during times of war
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).
Example Question #7 : Iron Triangle
Which of the following is a modern day example of the Military-Industrial Complex?
The US has the most efficient economy in the world
The US has had the most military success of any country in history
The US has the most advanced nuclear arsenal in the world
The US accounts for almost half of the world's total military spending
None of these answers are correct
The US accounts for almost half of the world's total military spending
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.
Example Question #2 : Iron Triangle
The "golden parachute" refers to what?
None of these answers are correct
None of these answers is accurate.
A backup measure placed in legislation in the event a project runs out of funding
Demoting a revealed-as-corrupt politician to a cushy, less-public position instead of actually punishing he or she
Depositing remaining campaign funds into one's personal account during a withdrawal from the race
None of these answers are correct
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.
Example Question #4 : Iron Triangle
What could average citizens do to most effectively diminish the integrity of an Iron Triangle?
Write letters to Congressmen requesting they stay away from interest groups
Petition the President to dismiss any executive officials that demonstrate signs of corruption
Organize protests against specific corporations
None of these answers is correct.
Elect Congressmen with a convincing history of avoiding corruption and private influence
Elect Congressmen with a convincing history of avoiding corruption and private influence
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.
Example Question #3 : Iron Triangle
The mutual cooperation between bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to expand power and forward interests is generally known as what?
The Iron Triangle
The Military Industrial Complex
The Congressional Compromise
The 3-Branch Dilemma
None of the other answers are correct
The Iron Triangle
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.