Chapter 35 

Pressure Groups 

Pressure groups have existed in all States and in all ages. But only in modern times they have become numerous and important in both democracies and dictatorships. In democracies, they work openly, while in dictatorships not so openly. ”Groups are devices by which the individual fulfils personal value and felt needs.” We shall first enumerate different types of pressure groups and then discuss their methods of working and exercising influence, and lastly their effects on the politics of their countries. Pressure Group: 

A pressure group may be defined as a group of individuals organised for promoting their special economic or some other interest by influencing the government or a public officer. The means used by pressure groups to apply pressure or influence on the government, legislators. administrators, political parties are agitation, persuasion, ’political sniping’ public opinion-mongering or even bribery. 

Pressure groups of various kinds. Most of them are organised for the protection or promotion of economic interests e.g. of trade unions or trade and industry chambers; some are for educational, social and religious purposes or reform. They are all interest groups. A few of them are set up for promoting some humanitarian or philanthropic purposes, e.g. the CND (the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament or the Greenpeace. Some pressure groups may consist of one or two individual while others are of large in size and numbers. 

Interest Group: 

A pressure group may also be called an interest group. An intereg may be defined as ”any conscious desire to have government policy, or the authoritative allocation of values, move in a particular general or specific 

affection.” we may, therefore, define an Interest group as one A/filch IS 1 

organised to promote interest by concerning itself with government policy. 

Mere sharing of common interest by a group does not make it an interest 1 

I 

group: it must try to turn government policy in its direction and share in the political process. When an interest group uses pressure of any kind, it 

I 

becomes a pressure group. The two terms are, indeed, interchangeable. The difference between the interest and pressure groups is of degree, not at 
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531 

kind: the former lays emphasis on an interest or cause, while the latter on pressure or influence.         . Lobby: 

A lobby is a pressure group which works in a legislature to influence the legislators to make laws in the interest of the group. Thus a lobby consisting of men who, knowing all about the inner workings of the legislature, use means, fair or foul, to induce the legislators to use public treasury in the interest of its members. In the U.S.A., every important sector of the national economy has its lobby in the Congress. Thus there are farmers’ lobby, the labour lobby, the railroad lobby, school lobbies, etc., etc. There are even one-man lobbies for some humanitarian activity, such as a lobby- against sale of narcotics, etc. In fact, there are hundreds of lobbies in the, U.S. Congress of various types.                  , 

Cause Group: 

A cause group is a pressure or interest group which seeks to 

promote some cause not of direct benefit to its members but of general benefit for all, e.g, the CND or the Greenpeace or the American Civil 

Liberties Un i on. 

A faction is a pressure group which works in a political party. 

r They are all sons of pressure groups. They may be one-man group or they 

may consist of several or many members: They may be loosely organised or are well-knit organisations. They work for private or group, interests. **Pressure in itself, obviously, is neither good nor bad. One can influence the 

rvernment to his own financial benefit; but one can also influence the 

rovernment to relieve famine in India”. These groups originate in the felt 

is and or share sympathies of some individuals which are of such 

sterest to them as to become organised to influence government or any 

body. Examples of pressure groups are too many to be enumerated. 

ade union, chambers of commerce, manufacturers, and bankers 

,:iations, farm organisations, business and professional societies, 

)us reform and racial group organisations of women, of war veterans, 

F -_he aged, etc. , 

do the pressure groups work? ’ 

The pressure groups put pressure at the following institutions in to further their interests or causes: (a) the legislature, (El) political 

„.(c) the executive or administrative organs of the government, (d) the 

at election times, and (e) the public at other times. Methods used by 

re groups vary according to the institutional structure of the State 

ry or federal, etc.), the nature of the party. system (centralised or 

ralised) and the political culture. 

Pressure groups may be exclusive or partial groups. A pressure 

i.is exclusive if it is only concerned to act in the political field, to 
532       POLITICAL SCIENCE 

intervene with public authorities, e.g. the lobbies. A pressure group is a partial group if political pressure is only a part of its activities, while it has also other objects and means of action, e.g. a trade union, which is mainly concerned with the welfare of its members, and only acts politically in times of strikes, or the like. 

Organization and working ot the Pressure Groups. 

The organization of each pressure group varies according to its 

interest, purpose and sphere of operation. Some consist of few members, 

while others of many. Some are well organised, while others are loosely so_ 

1 

But every pressure group tries to be well organised so as to influence the government and the public. It operates both openly as well as secretly and 

clandestinely. It endeavours to include in its public list of supporters 

subscribers the names of as many public figures and prominent people 

possible, both as members and as officers. Many of them are 

handsomely for associating with the group. The real work of the group 

however, done by a small number of paid officials and research worke 

propagandists or lobby men and paid agents. They bring pressure 

influence on the law-makers and government officials and bodies. 

pressure may take the form of a friendly talk, a reasoned discussion. 

threats of party action or failure in re-election or rewards and bribery, 

as securing employment in the business concern of the group. The 

also conducts campaigns of propaganda or education in order 

manufacture public opinion. For this purpose, it collects as much 

knowledge and information as possible by social survey, research work, 

Letters, telegrams, and such other methods are used to impress upon 

government that the public opinion is eager for something, which is 

course the particular interest which the group seeks to promote. 

pressure groups use the newspapers, radio, and television. They pr 

petitions and pass resolutions at mass meetings. They send letters 

telegrams to public officials, visit their offices and use every known 

to publicise their programmes. They provide them with sufficient Thus many governmental policies and laws in America are adopted 

Federal and State and local governments under the influence and pre 

these interest and pressure groups. Nature of Pressure Polities. 

Pressure in politics means an influence directed towards I 

attainment of certain ends which are limited and specific is not pub 

general. Pressure politics, therefore, is a skilful method of influencir 

government by organised groups for the attainment of their specUi 

limited interests and programmes. Methods employed may be wail 

secret, through public action or friendly and private contacts 

lobbyists. The aims, objectives and programmes of a pressure growl 

however, not adopted by the votes of its members or of the public, 
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533 

decided upon by its officials and promoters. Everything is decided behind the screen, in great secrecy. Having adopted its programme, the group presents its  proposals to the government in such a way as if they are for the good of all the people or the whole country. It always rationalizes its own interests to make them appear advantageous to the entire nation. It thus disguises its special interest under the garb of national interests. For example, in U.S.A., a protective tariff is pictured as a measure for developing infant industries and maintaining the American standard of life against the competition of the underpaid foreign labour. At the same lime, it manufactures ’public opinion’ and then insists that the officers of the government or law-makers must always obey the ’public opinion’, which is, of course, largely created by the pressure group itself 

Functions of the Pressure Groups: 

Although political thinkers like Rousseau, Hegel, Green, and 

others are critical of the role of pressure groups in the State as divisive and particularistic,      they perform important functions in the modern !democracies. 

Firstly, they provide information of a specialised and technical 

liature to the government, and administrators, which enable them to make laws and enforce them, or make policies and implement them. For this purpose, the representatives of the pressure groups appear before the legislative committees or administrators and their professional staff provide 

ital information to the legislature, or to the administrators. 

Secondly, they act as intermediaries between the people and the 

Dvernment. They transmit and communicate ideas from the people to the Dvernment.  They enable the people to participate in the activities of  the Dvernment. They enable the government to ascertain the reactions of the 

pple to the government policies. In between two elections they act as 

atchdogs over public policy and administration, at the time when the 

Dple can exercise little or no influence on the government. In this respect, 

ssure groups are more effective than the political parties. 

Thirdly, they act as a check on political extremism. One group 

ay demand one type of policy from the government, while another may 

)se it. 

Fourthly, the minority parties and communities, and such other 

nail groups can influence government through their pressure or interest 

ips. 

sure groups and government: 

In the modern advanced countries, the pressure groups play an 

Drtant role in the working of the government. As a matter of fact, some 

the government activities are delegated to them. We shall give here 

iow two examples of doing so. 

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(i) Consultation: In many States, it is now an accepted ” principle that recognised interests should be consulted both in the making of the laws and implementation of the laws. For instance, in Great Britain, the Agricultural Acts of 1947 and 1957 have made consultation a statutory duty. The pressure groups also participate in economic planning and policy making. In Britain, the views of the Cotton Board, an interest group, have been accepted by the Government as being the views of the textile industry. The government thus avoids the awkward task of arbitrating between conflicting interests of the textile industry. 

(ii) Joint co-operation: The pressure groups also co-operate 

with the government in implementing various policies. In Britain, for 

instance, the Trade Union Congress, a labour organisation, work together with the representatives of the management in the National Ecohomie Development Council and on the Economic Development Committee established in various industries in 1964. There are also various joint advisory committees. In France also, the Commissariat du plan is staffed by 

experts, but representatives of the business firms and trade unions work 

with the government officials on various modernisation commissions. Forms of Pressure: 

It will be interesting to mention the various ways the pressure 

groups bring pressure on the government. Some of them are as under: 

(a)        Refusal of Co-operation with the government Business groups may refuse to co-operate or to continue rendering assistance and advice to a government department. This technique was applied by the iron and steel industry in Great Britain against the nationalisation policy of the British Labour Party just after the World War IL 

(b)       Strike: Strikes are often resorted to by labour and professional associations consisting of members of the same trade, profession or enterprise for purposes of wage increase, etc. 

(c) Electioneering: Pressure groups participate in elections by 

supporting candidates favourable to their interests. 

(d) National publicity campaigns: Pressure groups often 

undertake nation-wide publicity campaigns in order to cultivate t 

favourable climate of opinion among the people for their aims and thery 

bring pressure on the government. These campaigns may be organised 

public relations firms, which specialise in public relationing. Moreover: 

public meetings are held to oppose a governmental policy. 

(e)        Formation of a political party: In multiple party coun 

the pressure groups may form political parties of their own in order to 

pressure on the government. This technique cannot be easily employed 

the counties which have only two-party system. 
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535 

Effectiveness or the pressure groups: 

The success or failure of the pressure groups in influencing the legislative and other policies and activities of the government depend upon the following factors: 

(i)        Size: First of ,a11, large pressure groups are usually more successful in their purposes, for they possess greater financial resources. But too large groups fail in their programmes, for they may lack cohesiveness and be unable to utilise their potential of larger resources. 

(ii)        Unity: Another guarantee of success is the unity among the members of a pressure group: The greater the unity, the more a pressure group will be successful in its programmes. It means that its members should devote themselves loyally and wholeheartedly to its programmes. But as they are members of other groups also they may not have time and energy to do so. This is particularly the case with very large groups: hence their large size becomes a source of weakness. 

(iii) Leadership: Leadership is an essential factor in the success or failure of a pressure group. It provides energy and enterprise which will make the group successful or destroy it. 

(iv)      Strength of the party system: The success of the pressure groups very much depends upon the weakness of the party system. In Great Britain, where the two parties are highly well-knit and powerful, the pressure groups are not as effective as in the United States, where the parties are not so strongly organised. Moreover, in the multiple party system, as in France, these groups are also very influential. 

(v)       Importance to the economy: The effectiveness of the pressure groups depends on the extent to which they can convince the people that they can play important role in the national economy. Pressure groups are either ineffective or non-existent in the developing countries, because they cannot contribute much too national economy.