Pressure groups of the USA: why has activity grown in recent years?

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  • Created by: Jess
  • Created on: 12-04-13 13:56
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  • Why has activity grown in recent years?
    • The growth of government intervention in health, welfare & the environment means government regulates large areas of citizens' lives, so groups are formed to defend their interests vis-a-vis government.
    • A highly specialised & socially diverse society like the USA has thousands of different occupations & views, with groups forming to protect & promote these.
    • The complexity of modern government decision making means lobbying is needed to provide specialised information to decision makers.
    • One of the short-comings of representative democracy expressed through voting at elections is that a 'blanket vote' for party candidates means citizens cannot express their specific views  & interests.
    • There is widespread recognition that individuals have little effect politically: only when organised can they have an impact on government.
    • It is said that the growing number of lobbies operating in US politics leads to a state of 'hyper-pluralism' in which government is overloaded with demands from powerful groups.

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This is a useful addition to the other mind map produced by Jess: Pressure groups of the USA: Methods used. However, like the other mind map, it should be seen as a starting point to which knowledge in depth should be added, especially in terms of case studies.

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