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Unit 11: Pressure Groups

very wide channel of study and thereby broadened the scope of political science to include rather Notes
every association or group committed to the protection and promotion of its interest through
government activity. Politics is struggle for power and, as such, all agencies that take part in it should
be the concern of a student of this discipline. Then, it is also said that numerous pressure groups act
in concert with political parties and thereby make the operation of a democratic system successful.
The relationship between political parties and organised interest groups is like a two-way traffic. In
collaboration with political parties groups make the operation of democratic system possible, and
along with that act as an effective check on the arbitrary exercise of power at any place in the political
system. In this way, the mechanism of checks and balances remains in operation. It is a fact that if a
democratic system cannot be operated without political parties, then it should also be noted that
political parties can not sustain themselves without the help of pressure groups.
But the critics of this kind of politics have their own set of arguments. They contend that pressure
groups are always ridden with sectional and local interests. Their role in most of the cases draws
sustenance from sheer selfish considerations. The ideal principle of Rousseau’s ‘general will’ is
undermined. The shrewd leaders of the groups don’t bother for the consideration of ‘public interest’
or for the sanctity of ’proper means.’ The techniques of exercising pressures by means of strikes,
agitations, demonstrations, riots, lobbying, filibustering, log-rolling etc. make a mockery of the whole
democratic system. More and more demands in the form of ‘inputs’ come, and it becomes more and
more difficult for the rulers to convert them into ‘outputs.’ It may also be seen that some pressure
groups recklessly indulge in activities subversive of law and order as a result of which numerous
problems of peace and safety crop up. Disorder becomes the order of the day and-the government is
forced to deal with such organisations as ruthlessly as possible. Friedrich says: “Where the interests
are sharply divided, certain of these groups have proceeded to take over the government and to
revolutionise it in such a way as to suit their particular needs and conception”.
Existence and Articulation of Pressure Group Politics

If politics means the reconciliation of interests by the role of group pressures, it becomes all the more
essential to examine the forces which have their impact upon the governmental process by means of
their potential articulation. Believing that many pressure groups, unlike political parties, are not
solely political organisations and that they do not possess the tendency to prefer politics at every turn
of time, it is yet to be admitted that they provide a significant channel of popular representation.
They are, in short, second or auxiliary circuit of representation. A study of pressure groups after the
study of party system makes a sister-analysis in view of the fact that while the party system provides
political representation, the network ot pressure groups and their operation constitutes the functional
part. It is irrespective of the fact that by no means do all such groups, or even a majority of them,
“normally have the slightest concern in what the government is up to; but at any point of time, they
might be so concerned and might wish to try to influence its policy”.
In order to examine the existence and articulation of pressure groups in various countries of the
world, we may classify world political systems into four categories-presidential, parliamentary,
presidential-cum-parliamentary and totalitarian. First, we take up the case of a country having
presidential , system of government like the United States where the legislature and the executive are
separated from each other and, for this reason, the pressure groups have to exercise their influence
upon two organs of the government separately. They have their eyes fixed mostly on the President
who is the virtual ruler of the country and when they fear some frustration, they apply their potential
articulation through the legislative bodies with the result that there is pressure and cross-pressure to
bear upon the government. Lobbying assumes a very serious, proportion to act as a counterblast to
the authority of the President and thus we often notice the cases of deadlock between the President
and the Congress.
Even if the legislature and executive are found to have a similar outlook going to the detriment of the
interest groups, they have a resort to judicial intervention to make that executive order or legislative
enactment null and void. Moreover, in the absence of a strong and well-organised party system the
legislators and the President as well as his ministers do not work according to the ‘official’ party line
which not only affords them ample freedom of action but brings about a marked line of difference

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