Agriculture Iron Triangle

     Several special interest groups have been created in favor of supporting farm workers or agricultural practices. They each often have a lot of support from politicians because agriculture is such a popular issue and is so representative of the common man's interests. Here is a list of some of the prominent agricultural special interest groups (a list which for some unknown reason excludes the American Farm Bureau Federation):

Agriculture and Food

Last Rating	Last Endorsement	SIG Name
2002	N/A	American Coalition for Ethanol
2011	N/A	American Farm Bureau Federation
2007	N/A	Associated Equipment Distributors
2012	N/A	Food Policy Action
2008	N/A	Grassroots Netroots Alliance
2008	N/A	National Association of Wheat Growers
2007	N/A	National Council of Agricultural Employers
1992	N/A	National Farmers Organization
2010	2010	National Farmers Union
N/A	2012	United Farm Workers of America
2007	N/A	United Fresh Produce Association
2012	N/A	Vote Hemp

United Farm Workers of America's 2012 supporters: 

• Joe Baca, Jr.: Former California Assemblyman from the 62nd District. (Democrat)
• Rob Bonta: Current California Assemblyman from the 18th District. (Democrat)
• Betsy Butler: Current California Assemblywoman from the 53rd District. (Democrat)
• Edwin Chau: Current California Assemblyman from the 49th District. (Democrat)
• Susan Eggman: Current California Assemblywoman from the 13th District. (Democrat)
• Jimmy Gomez: Current California Assemblyman from the 51rd District. (Democrat)
• Hannah-Beth Jackson: Current California State Senator from the 19th District. (Democrat)
• Ricardo Lara: Current California State Senator from the 33rd District. (Democrat)
• Jose Medina: Current California State Assemblyman from the 61st District. (Democrat)
• Barack Obama II: Current President of the United States of America. (Democrat)
• Richard Roth: Current California State Senator from the 31st District. (Democrat)
• Rudy Salas, Jr.: Current California Assemblyman from the 32nd District. (Democrat)

National Farmers Union's 2010 supporters: 

Martha Coakley: Current Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

In this Iron Triangle representing agricultural operations in the U.S, the Food Industry represents the special interest group, while the House/Senate Committee of Agriculture (H/SCOA) is the government corner and the Department of Agriculture (DOA) is the bureaucratic side. The food industry, "donate[s] money and vote[s] for congress members" to both of the other vertexes of the triangle while the DOA in return, "advocate[s] for regulations for farmer's business matters" and the H/SCOA fuels the food industry by, "advocat[ing] for bills dealing with the food industry" in return. Last but not least, the H/SCOA, "advocate[s] for programs that will help congress members constituents" in the Department of Agriculture while the DOA, "advocate[s] for wanted programs" in the House/Senate Committee of Agriculture.

While it is rather difficult to identify the exact interest groups and exactly what specifically they are contributing to, since there are so many moving parts to agriculture programs, this chart instead displays agricultural spending since the 1960s at the federal level of government. This chart illustrates the increases and the decreases which directly corresponds to and represents the incline and decline of the importance of the issue. 

Image Citations: 

Walter, Lauren. "Copy of Iron Triangle." Prezi.com. Prezi Inc., 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://prezi.com/bmqgtmbe-uz-/copy-of-iron-triangle/>.

Beach, William W. "Welfare Dependence in America and Welfare Spending." The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation, 4 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/03/the-2009-index-of-dependence-on-government>.