Since few decades political parties are hit by a decreasing participation of citizens who seem to turn away from politics. However the rise of memberships in pressure groups argues against this theory, proving that societies just have found a new way to get involved.
But are these groups, which are usually not under governments' control, compatible with the notion of democracy ? At first it seems that they are essential for boosting citizens' participation in politics.
But then it appears that they present some significant flaws that could eventually threat the idea we have of democracy. Therefore it is necessary to find a way to conciliate pressure groups' actions with political parties' existence to maintain a developed and active political life.
It is first important to understand the definition and the different theories of democracy, as well as the meaning of pressure groups. According to Barbara Goodwin, there is not just one definition of democracy but several theories about what it really is. One of them states that democracy is 'the supremacy of the people', another one assert that it is “the existence of common good or public interest' while a third one underlines the aspect of 'political equality and equal civil rights for all individuals' (2012, p. 288). Andrew Heywood adds that democracy is the good of the nation, the 'demos' (2007, p. 72). He also defines the notion of the 'liberal democracy' in which state and civil society are separated and of the 'pluralist democracy', based on the multiplicity of political parties and organised pressure groups in order to express the society's interests and promote an active participation in the political life. In opposition there is the 'elitist democracy' in which the po...
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Politics is defined as “the way people decide who gets what, when, where, how, and why—without resorting to violence” (McDonough 20). The author asserts that politics is the alternative pathway for a society to make decisions besides choosing violent means to go about doing so. Instead of using force, politicians use words and the method of persuasion in order to get what they want. When a society has a group of people who feel they are not fairly represented by their elected officials, they will often turn to violence in order to implement changes to the political process that will put in place the rules and regulations they are seeking.
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Democracy is control by the people. On the surface, this appears to be a superior form, but as Plato warned it is slow to react, oppresses of the minority, and lacks skilled leaders (Perry,
With the creation of factions, self-interest groups, there is the inevitable creation of both majority and minority groups. The majority and minority within the ideal democracy are to hold equal influence; however, this is not the case. As a result, the common good of the whole is hidden behind interests of majority groups with fixed aims. Therefore, the views of minorities are frequently disregarded, consequently leading to suggested policies/alterations not being put into practice. As suggested and stated by Mr. Magnotti and James Madison, the causes of factions and factions themselves cannot be destroyed, nevertheless, they can and should be controlled. This control would allow for the equal weighting of both the majority and minority groups’ views, preventing the overpowering of majorities, as advocated by Madison in his writing, “the majority, having such coexistent passion or interest, must be rendered, by their number and local situation, unable to concert and carry into effect schemes of oppression.” This idea of oppression represents the destruction of the democratic ideal of equality, due to the unequal distribution of power. In the idealized democracy, groups of people with shared ideals, re...
Before pondering the extent of democracy one must determine what the term “democracy” means. Democracy is a “means of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to citizens’ preferences.”i[i] The traditional democratic theory further explains the ideas behind democracy. The five aspects of this theory are that one man equals one vote, there is good voter-turnout, citizens can obtain knowledge through free speech and press, the general public controls government agenda, and an extension of all rights to all citizens.ii[ii] From this, one could say a true democracy would submit every bill to the public for a popular vote, like the traditional town meetings of old New England where all eligible voters met to have their say in governmental agenda.iii[iii] One could also say that democracy implies protection of rights and equal rights for all. Or, as Abraham Lincoln said, a democracy is “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”iv[iv] The people make the government, they have a say in the agenda, and the government governs by the people’s consent. This ...
The political incentives that spawned parties are transparent. In any system where collective choices are made by voting, organization pays. When action requires winning majorities on a continuing basis in multiple settings, organization is absolutely essential. The Constitution’s provisions for enacting laws and electing leaders therefore put a huge premium on building majority alliances across institutions and electoral units. Parties grew out of the efforts of political entrepreneurs to build such alliances and to coordinate the collective activity necessary to gain control of and use machinery of government. One of the incentives for building political parties is to build stable legislative and electoral alliances. To control policy consistently, then,
Most democratic countries have a multi-party system where many different ideologies are represented in government. Multi-party systems provide a broader representation of the people and give voters more choices at the polls, however, can lead a party to form a coalition, which can dissolve easily causing instability in the government. The United States electo...
In today’s politics, interest groups play a large role in the government system. An interest Group is defined as 'an organized body of individuals who try to influence public policy.' This system is designed so that interest groups would be an instrument of public influence on politics to create changes, but would not threaten the government much. These organizations are either made up of people who represent a different organization or people who represent themselves. Interest groups represent the citizens’ interests and views, while expressing their own needs as well. They are the link between people and politics, giving a way for the public to voice their opinions. Members of interest groups use different tactics to basically impose their wants or needs onto the government by lobbying, educating, and campaigning.
The advocacy explosion is strongly linked to the decline of the American political party and the role of the political parties in elections. As interest groups have gained more power and had a larger control over politics and political goods the power that is exerted by political parties has dwindled. The power of the interest group has grown larger with the amount of members and the financial rewards that have come with the new members. In elections interest groups do not usually participate directly with the candidate or the election. Berry points out that “Groups often try to leverage their endorsement to obtain support for one of their priorities” (Berry, 53). With interest groups spreading their resources around the actual election can be affected very minimally by the many interest groups that contribute money to the election. However, the candidates who obtain political office through the help of special interest money still owe some sort of loyalty to the interest group regardless of which party wins the election. This loyalty and the promise of more money in the future gives the elected of...
Although there are many different forms of democracy, in a true democracy the power is in the hands of the people. In a representative democracy the nations “restrict popular decision making to electing or appointing officials who make public policy” (Text, 4). According to this definition, democracy is a form of government in which power and responsibility reside with those who have been appointed to make decisions for the good of the whole.
If one accepts democracy as a practice, the question is then begged what kind of an institution sustains it? This discussion---though ...
Although it is accepted that pressure groups indeed pressure politics in certain directions, it is quite a different task to describe how pressure groups link public opinion to government action. Apparently the driving force behind action is not as cut and dry as the image of “the lobbyist who speaks for a united following, determined in its aims and prepared to reward its friends and punish its enemies at the polls.” In reality, it may appear that spokesmen of mass-membership pressure groups are “unrepresentative of the opinions of their members.” This perception, however, does not take into account the wide potential for variability in policy opinion that can occur within large groups. On the contrary, it is not a “wicked betrayal” or a “deliberate departure from the mass mandate;” it is more likely that there are other theorems with which to explain this phenomenon. Alike to all other human groups, “opinions…do not fall into blacks and whites.” In Keys’ essay, he attempts to hypothesize that there are naturally stratified layers of activism and pacifism within group membership. “It may be nature of mass groups that attachment to the positions voiced by the peak spokesmen varies with the attachment to and involvement in the group.” When the functioning of these groups are looked upon in this manner, it is logical to assume that special interest groups “invar...
They educate, formulate and organize public opinions. They also help raising political consciousness of the public, who cannot understand current political issues otherwise. Political parties approach people by organizing public rallies and press conferences on important matters and state their views clear. Through these meetings, the common citizens get to know about the social, economic, and political condition of the country. They are made aware of their voting rights. Furthermore, political parties help the public examine the pros of cons of current political matters. Amit Goel argues that this process leads to organize and formulate public opinion on important issues.
Julia S., Children's Rights in Africa: A Legal Perspective. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. 2013. Print.
Democracy, in its truest sense, does not exist. There is no political authority currently existing where every person contributes an equal amount to the decision-making process of the authority’s directives. The election of officials and representatives by the populace does not, in itself, automatically result in the most democratic and widely accepted directives being enacted. However, this does not decrease the political power of the authorities, nor does it limit their practical power over their jurisdictions.