Essay On Elitism And Pluralism

556 Words2 Pages

Texas politics can be interpreted as a very difficult and complicated institution. Its political democracy can be construed to fall under the mixture of two very distinct theoretical approaches. These models include elitism and pluralism. Elitism is the belief that individuals who derive power from leadership positions from large organizations and have great financial wealth can monopolize and influence important policy decisions. Pluralism is the theory that democracy can be achieved through competition among multiple interest groups. While many can argue that these two theories do not coincide with another, it can be noted otherwise. In this essay, elitism and pluralism will be discussed on how they are both visible in Texas democracy. Pluralism and Elitism go hand in hand because pluralism argue that interest groups are good for American and Texas democracy. Dominant interest groups in Texas influence many public policies as well as act as an avenue for democratic political participation. Dominant interest groups include the Texas Association of Business (TAB), Texas Medical Association (TMA), Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (TARA), National Rifle Association (NRA) and so forth. These interest groups work to influence policymakers and policy implementers. Pluralism is …show more content…

Governor Abbott released the following statement to President Obama on gun control. He stated, Texas will take every action to protect the second amendment rights of law-abiding citizens (Abbott, 2016). It reassures he follows the ideal principles of interest groups such as the NRA. However, he also falls under the elitist approach because he accepts donations from private organizations. The matter of the fact is Texas does not fall under one approach more than the other. It is a complex institution that is influenced by both of these theoretical

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