(10) Do Pressure groups strength democracy

(10) Do Pressure groups strength democracy

1. Pressure groups do strength democracy

   • They communicate opinion to politicians and policy makers
   • Representative democracy cannot itself ensure the state act in the interest of society
   • Interest and pressure groups, alongside public opinion and the media, help to check and balance government
   • Groups allow some citizens to speak to policy makers
   • PG leader have polentially more direct access to policy-makers to influence and commincate public views

2. Pressure groups weaken democracy

   • Promontinal groups "for citizens, but are not of citizens"
   • Groups minght encourage "ego-topic" (this suits me) not build support for "socio-tropic" (this benefits society)
   • Public do not elect PG leaders were as politicians are elected therefore there is a danger they do not want to represent the whole of society
   • Lack of choice in Pressure groups concerning specific "issue" therefore less democratic because political party offer choice on a large range of issue (national)

3. Monitoring of government by groups can have an impact on the ways in which politics is constructed

4. Such groups are often self-selecting and in britain often lead toward the liberal end of the spectrum