Procedures

• Materials:

  1. Textbook.
  2. Computers (one per group).
  3. Projection screen.
  4. The Iron Triangle Handout (Google Doc)

• STEP 1.

  Assign background reading from your textbook, or another appropriate source, for the previous night’s homework.

• STEP 2.

  At the beginning of the class, view the following C-SPAN video clip and lead students in a lecture/discussion on the iron triangle.

  The Iron Triangle (0:59) High school government teachers Andrew Conneen and Daniel Larsen discuss the makeup of the Iron Triangle.

• STEP 3.

  Show students the C-SPAN video clips below illustrating the iron triangle of the military-industrial complex.

  • Video Clip: The iron triangle overview (0:28)

  • Video Clip: Professor Thurber on the iron triangle (1:12)

  • Video Clip: Revolving Door of the iron triangle (1:37)

  • Video Clip: The power of the iron triangle (0:57)

• STEP 4.

  Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 students each.

• STEP 5.

  Model and distribute the Iron Triangle Handout to each group.

• STEP 6.

  Instruct each group to research a specific iron triangle relationship using the C-SPAN Video Library. Some examples may include Social Security, Agriculture, Education, Gun Laws, and Banking Regulations.

• STEP 7.

  Students will complete the handout and, using the guiding questions included below, present their findings to the class in the form of an oral presentation.

• Culminating Questions:

  1. What is the iron triangle?
  2. What role does each part of the triangle play in the policy-making process?
  3. What does each side receive for participating in the iron triangle?
  4. What does each side give for participating in the iron triangle?