Pressure Groups and the Democratic Process - Essay Example

?In Which Way Do Pressure Groups Help and Hinder the Democratic Process? Table of Contents In Which Way Do Pressure Groups Help and Hinder the Democratic Process? 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Thesis Statement 4 The Idea of Pressure Groups 4 Analysis and Discussion 7 Conclusion 11 References 12 Bibliography 12 Introduction In the recent times, it has been observed that the interest groups tend to play the role of pressure groups and has been increasingly gaining significance. The growing amount of significance can be attributed to the fact that pressure groups are gradually turning out to be the way endeavours can be made by the individuals in order to manipulate the government towards accepting their specific requirements or demands. In other words, it can be stated that the pressure groups are referred as a structured group of individuals which intend to create an influence on the guiding principles as well as acts of the government. The pressure groups are known to entail three basic and chief characteristics. These groups look for creating a degree of manipulation externally in comparison to implementing or winning the aspect of government authority. The pressure groups tend to stay away from making any kind of policy decisions, instead they make attempts to manipulate those individuals who are supposed to be engaged with such kind of activities for example the policy-makers. In the context of the given explanation, it could be understood that these groups are known to be external with regard to the government. The pressure groups are also observed to characteristically entail a constricted issue focus. In few of the instances or rather occurrences the pressure groups can be found to place their focal point on a sole issue such as displaying resistance against an intended road development. The members forming a part of the pressure groups are observed to be brought together by either a common notion with regard to a specific reason or even by a general form of interests. Individuals with diverse ideological as well as party inclinations might thus carry out certain activities in unison as associates of the similar pressure group. Thesis Statement The paper will intend to provide an insight into the idea of pressure groups and their functions. The paper would further attempt to explain the several ways and the functions through which these groups are known to facilitate as well as hamper the democratic process of a particular country. The Idea of Pressure Groups For few individuals, the pressure groups are considered to be an elementary part with regard to the aspect of democracy. For others, the pressure groups are believed to weaken the overall underlying principle in relation to democracy. Democracy is referred as that particular structure of government in case of which the decisions are taken by considering the majoritarian opinions accompanied with delegates who are found to be elected at intermittent elections. The episodic elections are known to involve the aspects of political autonomy as well as equality for facilitating the voters to demonstrate or express their effectual preference between the contending candidates secretly in a ballot (Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2012). With regard to the democracy structure identified in the pluralist theory, the pressure groups are believed to play an imperative part. The political parties are regarded to lack the ability to provide enough or the required degree of depiction in case of a complete array of varied opinions as well as interests with regard to a contemporary form of democracy. It is owing to the reason that the chief task of the political parties has been identified to amass the interests towards a rational political entity who is considered to be competent enough of leading the nation. The pressure groups also facilitate certain interests as well as reasons to be addressed and also to make use of influence with regard to the aspect of public decision as well as decision-making. However, the pressure groups are specifically the depiction of certain interests along with being sole issues which might also trigger reason for concern. The concern could be measured with regard to the exercised systems that are made use of for the attainment of the goals and also in relation to the excessive authority and manipulation which is capable of being applied by particular lobbies (Goertzel, 2012). It is believed by the pluralists in this regard that the concerned pressure groups with the help of their endeavours, prevail over the democratic shortage that is believed to pile up or rather develop as majority of the individual’s political contribution remains limited to just casting their respective votes at an interval of five years. This particular factor leaves the individuals with an insignificant degree of influence with respect to the decisions or verdicts that are made during the period of elections along with restricting the perceptions of the minorities from being represented. The pressure groups are learnt to escalate contribution and accessibility pertaining to the structure or method of politics which further aids in improving the fundamental quality in relation to democracy. These groups are known to balance as well as enhance the factor of electoral democracy in chiefly two different ways. Initially, the mentioned kind of groups are learnt to offer quite a significant form of mechanism with the assistance of which the respective citizens of a particular nation can pose a certain degree of manipulation between the carried out elections. Secondly, these pressure groups facilitate the opinions of the general individuals or rather the citizens to be measured along with being counted (Goertzel, 2012). Analysis and Discussion The pressure groups are stated to enhance the quality of the functioning government in a particular nation. The notion of discussion with the influenced group is regarded as a logical way in order to arrive at decisions with respect to a free from of society. It helps in making the government increasingly efficient with the help of improving the value and the excellence of the overall procedure in association with decision making. The improvement with regard to the government legislation as well as policy is made with the aid of the advice as well as information that is offered by such groups (Queensland Parliament, 2012). Pressure groups are acknowledged as a product or result that is obtained owing to ‘freedom of association’ and is considered to be a basic principle in relation to liberal democracy. The functioning of the pressure groups without any hindrance is vital for the purpose of ensuring the effectual operations with respect to the liberal democracy. The pressure group is believed to act as crucial intermediary establishment between the society as well as the government. These groups are also known to aid in the process of political power dispersal along with offering imperative counterbalance for the reason of adequately balancing the accumulation of power. The groups facilitate in the process of bringing into notice the fresh issues as well as the concerns which further triggers the likelihood of social development along with checking social stagnation. For instance, the activities related to women and environments are part of the activities taken up by the pressure groups. The groups are found to augment the degree of social consistency along with political steadiness by offering a ‘safety-valve’ passage to the collective as well personal requirements and complaints. These stated groups have been observed to contribute to a large extent towards the monitoring of the concerned nation’s government by way of revealing information which would rather be kept personal and as a secret. These actions undertaken by the groups thus strengthen and harmonise the actions of the adversary with the help of political parties. Therefore, the pressure groups are learnt to enhance the responsibility of the electorates and the decision makers (Bhandari, 2003). The imperative role discharged by the pressure groups with regard to politics has been refuted by just few of the individuals. It has been mentioned in this relation that the role played by the pressure groups might fluctuate from the one that is recommended in the pluralist theory. It has been found by ruling out any kind of doubt that the factor of contribution is enhanced by such pressure groups. However, the enhancement has been observed to be made in a disproportionate way as it proves to be advantageous for the well structured entities but keeps the inadequately structured entities at a disadvantage. Taking this particular factor into deliberation, it can be deciphered that the groups carry out their actions in opposition to the interest of the general public (Trueman, 2012). The groups themselves possibly do not always act as a spokesperson with regard to their respective members. The officers of these groups are not typically elected. Few of the groups are known to entail processes of having discussions with their own members in relation to the stated context. As a consequence, the perceptions or the viewpoints articulated by the concerned group officials remain limited and restricted from getting distributed among the members of the group. Even though the perceptions with regard to the pressure groups might get considered but these viewpoints tend to get disregarded in case they fail to substantiate with the principles or programs pursued by the related decision makers. Group resistance is also assumed to entail probabilities of slowing down and even creating a hindrance in the progression of the advantageous alterations which further causes obstruction in the course of social immobilization (Trueman, 2012). The in-egalitarian manner in which few of these groups are found to operate escalates the aspect of social dissatisfaction along with political unsteadiness by way of increasing the feeling related to social disturbance along with injustice that is witnessed by the barred and the underprivileged fraction forming a part of the overall population. Demonstrations of a larger scale that are carried out and led by any kind of these mentioned groups might result in prompting disagreeable and objectionable clashes with no police control. The conflicts are learnt to even engage the activists with their respective program. This extent in relation to civil disobedience lacks any form of validation and explanation in the present democratic system. Thus, pressure groups could be regarded as a vital rudiment with regard to any form of democracy but they are still believed to entail chances of putting into danger the overall system of democracy in case the sectional groups weaken the factor of public interest or even if in case the ways used by them are learnt to be fraudulent or threatening (Trueman, 2012). There are stated to be numerous noteworthy methods with the help of which the pressure groups are acknowledged to destabilise the democratic system. However, it has also been found in this regard that to a certain degree the mentioned aspects are balanced by the means through which the same groups positively contribute towards democracy. The pressure groups facilitate in providing information to the general public regarding quite a few number of significant concerns that are perceived to create an influence on the existing form of society. The information offered by such groups considerably aids the general individuals or the citizens to arrive at a proper opinion or verdict concerning a specific issue along with ascertaining the way in which the government needs to act in response. Thus, taking into consideration this specific aspect it can be well inferred that the groups radically help democracy by authorising the general people with adequate knowledge (Trueman, 2012). Conversely, with reference to the above mentioned context, it needs to be also mentioned that the pressure groups get in the way of democracy. This is observed owing to the actuality that the stated kind of groups at times tend to pose a unequal or inconsistent manipulation on the concerned government owing to the degree of authority that is found to be possessed by few of the specific groups. For instance, the British Medical Association is learnt to characterise just a small fraction of the overall population in terms of a particular country. Yet, it is believed to create a significant degree of manipulation with regard to the government of that particular country as the members serve the citizens with an imperative service (Trueman, 2012). Conclusion The ways by which the process of democracy could be helped as well as hindered by the pressure groups could be well recognised from the above made discussion. The competence of the pressure groups to create an influence on the decision of the governments for a good cause is known to contribute significantly towards the democratic process along with social as well as national development of a particular country. This serves to be a strong point of benefit for the overall growth of a country and its democratic process. To put it differently, it could be inferred that the pressure groups offer the facility of voicing the concerns and the interests of individuals formed in a group which lacks the proper depiction in the course of the electoral procedure or even by the existing political parties. On the whole, it could be deduced that the pressure groups present a prospect in terms of political involvement which certainly could be termed as democratic. Apart from the advantages stated relative to the pressure groups, the most notable form of disadvantage observed with such kind of groups has been their ability or influence to compel the views of few of the members or citizens on the others. This particular point of disadvantage is learnt to create a grave hindrance in the way of democracy system in a particular country. References Bhandari, J., 2003. Democracy of Pressure Groups. Capitalism & Morality, pp. 1-47. Goertzel, T., 2012. Theoretical Models in Political Sociology. Rutgers. Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2012. Pressure Groups. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 127-192. Trueman, C., 2012. Do Pressure Groups Add To Democracy. Pressure Groups. [Online] Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/do_pressure_groups_add_to_democr.htm [Accessed July 3, 2012]. Queensland Parliament, 2012. Everyone’s Parliament. The Role of Pressure Groups. Bibliography Stephens, P. & Leach, A., 1998. Think Sociology. Nelson Thornes. Read More