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 - intenal 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

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do pressure groups enhance democracy?

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