Subjects: Civics/government

Grade Level(s): 9-12

Time Frame: One 50-minute period

Objectives [What the student should know and be able to do at the end of the lesson]:

1.0 Overall: To learn how "iron triangles," or issue networks form.

Bloom's Taxonomy: CongressLink lesson plans are built around Bloom's taxonomy. The purpose of the taxonomy is to provide a coherent format for lessons and to make it easier for teachers to design them according to CongressLink's standards.

2.0 Knowledge: Define "iron triangles." Go to Website to find definition.

3.0 Understanding: Understand what "iron triangles" are. Rewrite the definition in own words.

4.0 Application: Identify current examples of "iron triangles."Use the iron triangle construct to make a model using current congressional committees, government agencies, and interest groups.

5.0 Analysis: Analyze the connections among agencies, committees, and interest groups. Use Website to determine a committee's jurisdiction, and the agencies and interest groups that are affected.

6.0 Synthesis: Compare iron triangles with issue networks. Look at the number of interest groups that have competing interests in a committee's jurisdiction.

7.0 Evaluation: Determine if the iron triangle has a negative effect on public policy formation through campaign contributions. Look at the amount of campaign contributions from interest groups covered by that committees jurisdiction.

Procedure/Sequence

First, go to http://www.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/pork-barrel_legislation.html to get the definition for iron triangles. Rewrite this definition into your own words.
Then, go to a website (http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/index.asp) to find out about committees in general and about which committees your congressmen belong to. Once there, look at two committees from the House and two from the Senate. Go to the overview of the committee and write down the following:

1. the jurisdiction of the committee
2. who are the chair and ranking minority person and what party they belong to
3. the proportion of Democrats to Republicans on the committee
4. look at the members of that committee: are there any particular groups of states being represented on that committee
5. which special interests are affected by that committee
6. which special interests have contributed financially to the elections of members of that committee.
7. which agencies (bureaucracy) are regulated by these committees
8. construct an iron triangle based on this information
9. determine if there are interest groups that have conflicting goals affected by this committee
10. determine if an issue network is the better model

For extra credit, find out which committees your senators and congressmen belong to. Why do you think that they are on those committees? Are they more interested in constituent service or leadership opportunities? Which committees do your other representatives belong to? Why? How do these committees affect your district and other districts in Wisconsin? Is your congressmen looking more toward advancing in public office or keeping his House seat secure? Support your reasoning.

Materials:

Computers with Internet access, worksheet

National Standards Addressed by Lesson [based on National Standards for Civics and Government, Center for Civic Education, 1994. Citation based on section, subsection, standard of the document]:

Section III, Subsection E, 1 and 5.
"Students should be able to evaluate, take and defend positions about how the public agenda is set." And " Students should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions about the contemporary roles of associations and groups in American politics.

Evaluation/Assessment: See: http://www.congresslink.org/rubric/pdf

Author(s):
Jim Jeffries