In my family, sometimes Doug and I bicker and fight. Doug and I will take our sides of the story to Lane and he will talk to my mom on either Doug’s or my behalf. My mom will lay down the law in the House. Doug and I are expected to abide by it and my stepdad is expected to be the enforcer. Sometimes in the midst of enforcement, my stepdad sees a better way to deal with Doug and I, and he will take it to my mother for her consent. Although Lane is the most valuable tool to get through to my mom, sometimes I can just get buddy-buddy with my stepdad and he will lobby to my mother on my behalf, because, he knows that I have the best perspective and knowledge on my own problems. So, in a way, my house operates with its own Iron Triangle. My mother is very much like a one person congress. Doug and I serve as our own interest groups. Lane is a lobbyist, and my stepdad is the bureaucracy.

The people of the Unites States have problems, too. And, believe it or not, the United States Government relies on a messy system of Iron triangles as well. Public interest groups are very close to the people. They know the people’s problems and they do a lot of work for the congress by collecting information that depicts that their problems are shared by many citizens. Congress understands the strength of public opinion and the needs of the people, and therefore, relies on the information and issues that interest groups present in order to pass legislation. The legislation that is passed is the duty of the bureaucracy to enforce. The bureaucracy makes rules and regulations that directly affect the people of the United States. Bureaucrats have recognized the power of theses interest groups as well as their influence on Congress. Bureau chiefs and staff, who are often appointed with the pressure of special interests, often team up with the interest groups to create a sort of alliance towards a common goal. The Bureaucrats can benefit from more attention to their agency which leads to more money. The special interest groups, in turn are advocating their issue even more effectively. The importance of special interests makes the job of lobbyists even more important because they are the people that handle the direct transaction between congressmen and interest groups. The connection between lobbyists and congressmen has often been referred to as the revolving door. Many retired congressmen become lobbyists and many lobbyists, because of their connections with congress are able to become congressmen. This creates the system that has been dubbed the Iron Triangle, although in reality it is more like a messy, intertwined ball of yarn. Lobbyists and special interest groups, bureaucrats, and congressmen all rely on each other’s connections and information in order to create our intricate system of law making and implementation.