Pressure groups of the USA: A blight on democracy


	Pressure groups of the USA: A blight on democracy
	Advantages An important source of information Often bring issues, proposals, policies & responses to the proposals of others to the attention of the media & politicians Pluralist democracy: involving a public arena within which there are competing centres of power There are multiple access points & many opportunities for people & groups to be heard, all helping to shape what happens in US society	Disadvantages Often all sides are not equally or fairly represented & that is where the problems start Elite theory: any though of competing centres of power making the whole process more democratic is dismissed because less prominent, less organised or poorer minorities lack the contacts or automatic acceptance essential to be heard. The general prospect of individual groups gaining clout in pursuit of their own interests is in itself distatesful There is an implication that subgovernments or iron triangles have an almost autonomous existence seperate from the policy goals & priorities of the democratically elected Groups might spend so much money in their determination to get their preferred candidates into key positions of power that they could be accused of 'buying' the elections.
	Evaluation

An important source of information
Often bring issues, proposals, policies & responses to the proposals of others to the attention of the media & politicians
Pluralist democracy: involving a public arena within which there are competing centres of power
There are multiple access points & many opportunities for people & groups to be heard, all helping to shape what happens in US society

Often all sides are not equally or fairly represented & that is where the problems start
Elite theory: any though of competing centres of power making the whole process more democratic is dismissed because less prominent, less organised or poorer minorities lack the contacts or automatic acceptance essential to be heard.
The general prospect of individual groups gaining clout in pursuit of their own interests is in itself distatesful
There is an implication that subgovernments or iron triangles have an almost autonomous existence seperate from the policy goals & priorities of the democratically elected
Groups might spend so much money in their determination to get their preferred candidates into key positions of power that they could be accused of 'buying' the elections.

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