Activity
1. Ask students what the following groups have in common:
Secretary of Energy, member of the Nuclear Energy Institute and Chairman of
the committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
2.
Have students read, “Iron
Triangles” by John Balistere from
http://www.ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst095.html
a)
Discuss: Why do presidents have a difficult time getting their policy initiatives
passed?
b) Where do private citizens play a role?
3. Make a transparency or hand out of the visual from: http://www.uh.edu/~dsocs3/visualaids/interestgroups/ed52.htm
a) Which part of the iron triangle appears to have the greatest power over
policymaking? Why?
b) What major potential for influence do the other two groups have?
Closure
Hold a class discussion on the following:
Can any president fulfill his or her campaign promises or the promises he
or she makes to the American people?
What would it take for him or her to do so? What might be other examples
of issues where there is an iron triangle? Homework
None.
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