Iron triangles

An iron triangle is a stable, three-sided relationship among a congressional committee, the agency it oversees and the interest groups affected by that agency's work. The committee gives the agency funding and favorable laws, the agency writes rules that help the group, and the group gives committee members campaign help and political support. Because each side gains, these networks can shape policy in their area with little outside attention.

Each choice

• A. Bargaining between the president and Congress is a separate relationship. The president is not one of the triangle's three sides.
• B. Corporate dominance of the national agenda is closer to elite theory. Iron triangles are tied to a specific policy area.
• C. Ties among federal, state and local governments are federalism, not iron triangles.
• D (correct). The three sides are a congressional committee, a bureaucratic agency and an interest group, working together on policy.
• E. A circle of foreign policy advisers is inside the executive. An iron triangle crosses Congress, the bureaucracy and outside groups.