Unit 1: Pluralist democracy & pressure groups

Pluralism is a theory of the distribution of political power that holds that power is 
widely and evenly dispersed in society, rather than concentrated in the hands of an 
elite or ruling class. In particular, pluralists have a positive view of pressure-group 
politics, believing that groups promote healthy debate and discussion and that 
they strengthen the democratic process.

In political ideologies, pluralism is particularly promoted by liberals, who argue 
that tolerance of moral, cultural and political diversity is essential for freedom, 
and only a democracy in which diverse groups of individuals are able to compete, 
with the state acting as a ‘neutral’ arbiter between those groups, is a truly 
liberal democracy.

A lack of pluralism can lead to alienation of groups from society, and result also
 in some people abstaining from participating in our political system, seeing there is 
no point as they are not able to wield any power within it.

Do pressure groups enhance democracy?

Supporters of pressure groups claim that they enhance pluralism in our democracy and make our democratic system much more effective as a result. 

However some political scientists claim that many organised groups can undermine the policy making process since they are dominated by people with vested interests concerned only to improve the relative position of certain groups within society. 

• Too many groups are undemocratically organised 
• Power can reside with people with little or no claim to democratic legitimacy 
• Groups have non-legitimate power because they are un-elected 
• Oligarchic power structures - Internal democracy may be lacking in many groups providing only weak direct accountability 
• Membership of groups is often drawn from a narrow middle-class elite 
• There is an unequal distribution of resources and influence between groups. 
• Cumulative inequalities between groups are widening as some groups are more effective than others in securing funding. 
• Many groups represent narrow sectional (vested) interests 
• Pressure groups encourage unrealistic expectations among the electorate of what government can actually do - leading in the long run to a growing disillusionment with modern politics and a decline in voter turnout and engagement in the political process