Pressure groups and pluralist democracy

1. Pressure groups and pluralist democracy Revision

2. What is a Pluralist Democracy? • A form of liberal democracy in which power is widely dispersed • Citizen participation occurs through pressure groups (as opposed to voting in elections) • Pressure group membership allows people to promote diverse views, interests and grievances to the government • The term can describe an existing system or present a desirable alternative (to parliamentary democracy in the case of the UK) • The UK could not be described as a fully pluralist democracy, though it has clear elements of one

3. What is a Pluralist Democracy? • The key issue is to what extent the UK is a pluralist democracy?

4. Key features of a pluralist democracy • Wide variety of political parties, associations and pressure groups – different political beliefs are allowed to thrive and there are multiple, independent sources of information • Wide dispersal of power among competing groups – power is not concentrated in an elite (though groups need not be equal in power) • High level of internal responsiveness within groups – leaders are accountable to members and decision-making is democratic

5. Key features of a pluralist democracy • Open competition for all groups in the political process – no single group can exclude any other • Impartial government – responsive to outcomes of competing pressure group activity

6. How far is the UK a pluralist democracy? • The UK does have numerous and varied pressure groups (estimates vary, but the number of groups is in the thousands – one source says 7,000) • Governments accept existence of these groups – some are highly involved in decision making • Pressure groups educate the public – awareness of health issues such as smoking and obesity have been promoted by pressure groups, as has domestic violence

7. How far is the UK a pluralist democracy? • Opposing pressure groups compete openly – pro-smoking group FOREST conflicts with anti-smoking ASH; Countryside Alliance conflicted with anti-hunting groups • Pressure groups use digital democracy to enhance pluralism – 38 Degrees, international organisationAvaaz (www.avaaz.org) both use this means to raise petitions and campaigns

8. How far is the UK a pluralist democracy? BUT • Financial power and large memberships give some groups considerably more influence – trade unions with regards to Labour; the CBI for both parties • The division of insider groups with influence, and outsider groups without, suggest a clear demarcation of power • Many pressure groups do not exercise responsive leadership, including prominent ones such as Greenpeace

9. How far is the UK a pluralist democracy? • Hostile public opinion can restrict pressure group influence (note here also the influence of the media) – Republic operates in a climate where 80% of people favour retention of the monarchy • Much evidence thus suggests that pressure group activity is actually elitist in the UK, and does not conform to the strict definition of a pluralist democracy • Our parliamentary system is strong enough to be able to ignore the demands of a wide range of pressure groups if it chooses.

10. Functional Representation • Refers to a community that is divided into several strata (or layers) • Each strata has a certain corporate unity and holds that it should be represented in government • Citizens can, or should, be represented according to their membership of economic or social groups • While the UK does not merit this description, discussions of a reformed House of Lords have suggested this form of representation as one option

11. Functional Representation • Pressure groups are thus the main source of functional representation in the UK • This is largely through sectional groups (eg trade unions, professional associations) • Groups can articulate their demands and preferences between elections • Groups protect special interests regardless of changing political climate or election results • Representation of minority groups safeguards against “tyranny of the majority”

12. Functional Representation • Popular dissatisfaction with traditional politics and politicians has led to a resurgence of interest in functional representation – teaching unions and the BMA both feel a need to remind government of the interests of their practitioners against a hostile governing class • We are, however, a long way from having a formal functionally representative system • Pressure groups thus allow for elements of both pluralist democracy and functional representation to exist in a parliamentary system that is based on territorial representation.

13. Elitism and Pressure Groups • Elitism suggests an unequal distribution of power in society, favouring a small group of influential or powerful people over the majority • Various factors might promote such elitism – wealth and social status are two • Elitism assumes a ‘power struggle’ in political society • Applied to pressure groups, elitism suggests some pressure groups are more powerful than others • It contradicts a pluralist theory of democracy • Like pluralism, elitism is a way of defining the distribution of political power in a society; it is applied to pressure groups as they seek to exercise power in society

14. Insider Groups • Insider groups rarely have permanent insider status • Key groups often seen as ‘insider’ have recently been unable to exercise decisive influence on policy affecting them – eg BMA with NHS changes, Bar Association with legal aid cuts, Howard League with removal of books from prisoners, Police Federation with regards to police reform promoted by Theresa May.