Depending on the ideologies and goals of pressure groups, there are many types. Two main categories that pressure groups belong to are ‘insider and outsider’. The insider group is pressure that has political influence and works to inform government, while the outsider group is pressure that focuses on informing the public and getting approval. Both are essential to a pluralist society that represents diverse interests.
While pressure groups may be a negative, they can help strengthen democracy by giving voice to particular causes and interests. Their influence can also be used to influence public decision-making, such as through protests. This allows the public to make better informed decisions about important issues. These issues might then be addressed by the government. ASH, for instance, has had a significant influence on the government’s policy regarding cigarettes. The other reason pressure groups can be considered is their ability to bring together a variety of ideologies, beliefs, and groups. These groups allow for more participation and greater access to the political process. While some may not be interested in voting, others might prefer to join pressure groups to voice their opinion and to discuss important issues. People are more likely to join groups that share different beliefs and cause so the government is more open to learning about different groups. Greenpeace is a large pressure group with over 130,000 supporters in the UK and 2.8 millions worldwide.
Pressure groups, on the other hand can make pluralist democracy less strong as certain groups have more power than others. Groups with higher economic status are more likely to communicate their views clearly than those in lower economic positions. This power is then often used to buy’ it through advertising, for instance. The British Medical Association, a core group of insiders, has a huge influence on shaping policy. This suggests that the UK might not be a pluralist democracy. Because some parties may have more influence than others, it is possible for the government to make biased decisions.
Another reason to oppose pressure groups weakening democracy is the possibility that certain groups may be preferred by the government. This could be due to the fact that some pressure groups have greater electoral benefits. For example, Labour Party tends favor trade unions in order to help the party fund, while Conservative Party prefers private financiers. Some groups may be favoured by the government because they may have access to information that they prefer keeping secret. This is a weakening of pluralist democracy.
Pressure groups help to strengthen pluralist democracy. The public can campaign for issues which may directly affect them. This encourages people to get involved in politics and makes them more aware of the system. They can also weaken pluralist democracy in that certain groups have more power and can influence government policy.
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