Pressure Groups: Pressure Groups And Their Impact On Democracy

Question 1

What is a major debate about pressure groups and democracy?

Answer 1

The Elitist vs pluralist debate

Question 2

What is the elitist vs pluralist debate?

Answer 2

The elitist argument is that pressure groups fundamentally hinder democracy because groups with the greatest resources and best connections to those in power wield disproportionate influence, the pluralist argument is that political pluralism allows all groups to enjoy roughly equal opportunities to campaign and to be heard, this view assumes that pressure groups are beneficial fro democracy as they enable all legitimate view to be heard

Question 3

What is some arguments towards elitism in pressure groups?

Answer 3

Power in inherently distributed unequally in society and politics, this is reflected in pressure groups
Powerful and well-resourced groups often use their insider status to manipulate legislation and regulations
Groups that are already powerful and dominate often claim a monopoly of knowledge and competence in their chosen fields and can fund research to back up their claims
Many pressure groups are themselves undemocratic in structure and dominated by their own internal elites, Greenpeace has been accused of this
Many of the most marginalised in society lack representation
Some corporate interest have become too big to confront

Question 4

What is some arguments towards pluralism in pressure groups?

Answer 4

In a democracy, no one group or section of society has a monopoly on power
The advent of social media in particular has enabled groups with limited financial resources to communicate their message to large numbers
Governments are naturally keen not to be out of touch with voters in a democracy
Many pressure groups are largely non-hierarchical and loosely structured
Nearly all groups in modern British society have pressure groups that represent them
There are checks in place that can limit the power