These barriers relate to the political complexities of every governmental system. Some examples of these barriers are given by Dawes (1996): (1) external influences over the decision-making process, such as legislative committees, interest groups, civil servants, and other governmental jurisdictions like local governments; (2) the power of agency discretion, which refers to the capacity of high level bureaucrats to influence the programs and policies; and (3) the primacy of programs, which reinforces vertical connections and serves as a disincentive collaboration among agencies.

These barriers result from the structure of the American political system. Our government is based on independent branches of government with shared powers. Organizational and regulatory frameworks are established for supervision and control between branches and not for cooperation among them (Derthick, 1990; Fountain, 2001). Thus, the criminal justice system involves organizations from at least two government branches (executive and judicial). Successful projects must find ways to avoid institutional impediments and work collaboratively towards a common or shared objective.