Government College University, Lahore

Department of Political Science

Name:
Anila Nawaz (2244-BH-PS-20)
Shabeeha Tariq (2223-BH-PS-20)
Course Title:
Political System Analysis: theory and practice (Developed: UK & USA Developing: Pakistan & India)
Course Code:
PS-3102
Course Instructor:
Ma’am Fauzia Ghani
Assignment Title:
Demand Making and political participation: a way to political stability
 Demand Making and political participation: a way
to political stability
Abstract:
The following research paper “Demand making and political participation: A way to political
stability”, helps us to recognize that rather than the three organs of the state these two factors play keep
role in keeping up with the political stability. In this term we have describe the process of demand making
and the means of communication through which elected governments can understand what public wants,
after we have political participation, like the name shows participation in expressing the public opinions
related to leaders and government. After the basic concept of political stability this paper helps us to
understand that political stability can be increased in the country social awareness and civil sense. We
have mentioned the case studies of developing and developed countries, the conditions there which
maintains or unbalances the political stability in the country. In USA as we are well aware society is well
educated whereas in Pakistan the society polarized which directly effects the political stability.
Introduction:
Demand making, political participation and political stability these three are the important factors of the
political system. They need to work in parallel dimension for the smooth running of the state. As we are
aware of the fact that these three the sideways working in steps for the working of the system. First step is
the demand making in which certain conditions are put in front of the political system and they need to be
completed to avoid any riots and violence in the society. Demand making includes processes called
interest articulation and interest aggregation. After demand making comes the step of political
participation without expressing our opinions the leaders can never know what we want. So political
activity is much indeed in state. Political participation can be done in the form of voting or participating
in the political debates. When political participation is done then comes the political stability which is
made automatically when demand making and political participation is done honestly. When state is
running in its correct way, there is political stability. In following term paper we will try to understand
how demand making and political participation helps in political stability.
Demand Making:
In past, the term political system was limited to only to legal institutions. New terminologies are now
added in it which makes it dimensions in broader perspective. The term demand making is one of the
important terminology in political system. In demand making basically there are perspectives which are
considered as inputs to the political system i.e., demand and support. These two inputs are given to the
system, then output is the product which plays a significant role in effecting the environment. In political
system, there are many system working under it and interacting with one and other. Keeping that in our
perspective, David Easton was the first one to point out these imperative terms in political system. He
classified demands into different types. (a) demand could be for the services i.e., education, (b) demand
could be for control of provisions, (c) demand could be for the regulation of political participation and (d)
a demand could be the for the fact of information related to different policies. We also have example of
demand making in political system. A case from U.K where young voters put forward their five demands.
“Those were developing more power, reform electoral system, more women in parliament, teach
politics in school and encourage diversity.” 1When work on these certain demand is done, then it
produces an output. After demand making there is supply, this is the secondary category of input. Only
demand cannot initiate the political system. Support is given by the society supports is linked to demand
like it is material support for example for the control of provisions means there should be rule of law,
political participation includes participation in debates and voting system. These are the supports
considered as input for the system. The product which is the output is decision. If demands effect the
policies and decisions, then support enables the system to work on that specific product. In this flow of
input and output all types of interaction is done whether it is domestic or foreign.
The process upon which these demands are made is known as “interest articulation”. If there will
not be any source through which demands are initiated in society, this will result in distress and
violence in society. Demand making is border line between society and its system.2 There are
different forms and sources through which demand making is done in political system. If demand making
is done through honest means and the result is positive this causes political stability in the society. The
groups are classified as anomic groups, institutional group, associational group and non-associational
group. “The basic determination of these interest group is advocacy and policy formation.” 3 The
sources through which demand was put forward was media, legislatures and personal connections. There
are certain conditions which should be kept in for the formation of demands that is demand should be
particular and explicit in its case. Without any dimensions’ demands are hard to get done. All the
resources should be authentic for demand making. A peaceful demand making is the only the way for
peace society.
Political Participation:
Just like demand making, political participation is also boundary between society and its political system.
Political participation is the influence in the political activities a person permits by his own will. That
influence could be done through voting or participating in public debates. Following are some important
aspects that could be included in political participation.
1- It includes the activities which are done for the formulation of public policy.
2- It includes the campaigns and protests.
3- How much citizens participate in politics is also measured in political participation.
4- Political apathy, lack in political interests.
Voter participation, is one of the basic and important expression in political participation. This is the only
way through which participants can influence the political activity. Rather than voting no other process in
politics is authentic which represents our opinion. In any democratic country, each person gets a right to
vote which is direct participation in politics. Rather than polling there are also some certain ways which
includes times and skills in which participation can be done. Like in voting we express our opinion,
expressing our opinion to selected person is also key aspect in it. Taking interest in political activities is
necessary for the welfare of society or else the leader would not give a damn to what public thinks. “If we
will see the case study of United States in 19h century there were only 17% Americans who
interested in expressing their opinion to their elected leader but now the number has increased, in

1
“ Politics for the people: five demands from young voters”, accessed date April,24 2015,
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/apr/24/politics-for-the-people-five-demands-from-young-voters
2
Gabriel A. Almond and G. Bingham PowellJr, Comparative politics: A developmental approach, (Boston and
tornoto, 1966), page 26.
3
'Interest groups - Aims and functions', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, accessed November, 30 2022
http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/interest-groups/page-1
20th century the number is 44% and now in modern era life has become more easy now face to face
meetings are not necessary through emails work can be done”. Contributing money to political
activities is also the key aspect of participation in politics. Protests and activism is also included in
political participation. Protest is the right given by the constitution to each citizen of the country, they can
express their opinion on any certain policy by peaceful means. Protests should be peaceful, sometimes
they took the form of illegal acts and causes violence in the society. Rather than these physical
participations in politics, gestured participation is also included in it. It is just like respecting your flag
and pay tribute to it, sing the national anthem and be proud of your nationality. There are also some
minority of people who doesn’t like to participate in anything, they show their dissatisfaction by no
voting and not participation in any of the political activities.
Political Stability:
“Political stability is the sum of the activities of the government, legislative bodies and people
authorized to influence the country’s affairs in a manner that sustainably confirms the established
political principles and practices.”4
A stable political atmosphere is a country is very much beneficial for it economically also. When there is
political stability, there is no risk of governmental changes and implementation of different laws
suddenly, more the people will be interested in investing in business and banks which will automatically
increase the economic growth rate. Pure leadership and honest political competition these two are the key
take words for the political stability. Above in our term paper we have discussed about the demand
making and political participation these two made a political culture stable. If demand making is initiated
properly in the society, this will make people agreeable over their demands which means no violence and
this leads to stability. Same goes for the political participation when people will express their opinion and
will be in contact with their electives it will cause less distress in state and stability is produced. Talking
about our country Pakistan lost its political stability long ago, the society is polarized recently like we
have seen the regime change, different conspiracies, involvement of establishment in politics and many
other factors had caused instability in country. It’s been happening since last 75 years over the time we
had witnessed political instability. If there is political instability in the country, then country faces
following mentioned issues. If there is political instability, then there would be protests and riots in the
society which leads to violence. When there is violence in society it effects many other factors in it.
Again we can say that if demand making is not done correctly it caused violence which means instability
somehow political stability, demand making and political participation is interlinked. Riots and violence
in the society also causes economic instability. Politics and economy these two factors are connected.
These two important tools in any state. Whenever a policy is formulized it is done by keeping in view the
economic perspective. Briefly we can say that society, economy or whether it is politics each and every
factors plays its role in political stability. People and government both needs to think and overcome the
problems they are facing while running a state, so that such problems could be avoided. In government
instead of giving each other difficult time opposition and government needs to sit and communicate, they
are required to work for the benefit of the country. A state is a collection of people and government so
they need to think rationally because political instability effects both of the parties. System should be so
much strong that if there is any inconvenience in the state it should fight with it without causing any
disturbance to political stability.

4
Claude Ake, “ definition of political stability”, comparative politics, vol number 7, Jan 1975: page no 271
How political stability can be achieved through demand making and
political participation?

Political stability is the condition of the country that prevent the possibility of open revolt and
protests because the government is governing fairly, leaders are far from corruption, people are
in a state of peaceful happiness, and are benefited from the policies of government. As we know
Politics is People for the stable political system the individuals of the country need to be secure
and there is a need of leaders who fulfill the needs of people. Because politics is and always will
be the product of many different people, we must approach stability by focusing on their needs
and their participation in politics. To promote stability in a political system the government
should respond to the following demands of people:
One of the major cause of instability in a country is the trampling of rights and freedoms of
people by the leaders. To maintain the stability in a political system the government should
respond to the demands of people i.e. the demand of freedom of speech and basic human rights.
The rights of citizens must be protected and respected. All these rights must be enshrined in the
constitution.
Many countries around the world face the instability because of unfair elections. Free and fair
elections must be allowed which will result in the stability of system. If the government is open
and allowed the demands of the people political stability can be achieved.
Another factor that leads to instability is the increase unemployment due to which population get
frustrated and hit the streets. Governments should fulfill the demands of jobs and employment
to the people in order to maintain stability. There should be the tolerance and respect for people’s
views, demands, religion, ethnic, and political affiliations.
Political participation also plays a major role in breaking barriers and in developing a stable
political system. The countries that have lesser voters is most probably a country with fewer
employment opportunities, lower pay, lesser jobs and more crime. When there is lesser
participation in politics it will show that the representatives can take them for granted. On the
other hand, if people came out and participate it will show that they do care about their country
and do not accept the existing situations.
Participation in politics will help to develop better political leaders which means the citizens
make sure that the leaders entering the office are the ones who are devout in doing what is right.
In turn the leaders treat the people with their utmost responsibility for them to be reelected.
The individuals are the ones who are responsible for the change. They do not wait for someone
to make changes. These individuals are responsible for the process of election in a particular
country. This participation shows that the people are aware of their rights and know how to
protect them. They make sure that the working of government is right.
The laws of the country cannot be enforced without the participation of people. If something is
illegal going on and cannot be reported to the government then nothing can be done about it.
Citizenship is not all about paying taxes rather having a stake in a country and respecting its
laws. Citizens will make sure to make it better by playing an active role. Participation of people
creates the job opportunities for people and stimulates the economy of country. When people
have their voices in government they make sure that there are jobs opportunities and that the
economy is stimulating.
People are more likely to abide by the rules if they are involved in the process of policy making.
This involvement gives them the sense of belonging. If people are not satisfied they will resort to
illegal means that lead to political instability.
The political participation of people create civil and social awareness which means that the
people keep an eye on the government and make sure that their rights are protected. Thus
prevents the corruption and oppression in the government. Moreover, participation aids in
ensuring that the system works for all and helps to promote the will of majority over the
minority. When people actively take part in politics it means that they make sure that nothing
unethical take place in government and their voices are being heard because corruption cannot
benefited the majority. Social stability can be increased by participation. People who are active
in society are more likely to be able to recognize any warning signals that law and order in the
city they live in is beginning to falter. They also participate in demonstrations to make sure that
their concerns are heard.
Voting is considered as the most important civic responsibility, but there are other ways to get
involved as well. If people have their voices in government they feel safe and society will run
smoothly. They can help shape the policies of government and be a part of decision making
process. All these factors will led to the political stability of the country.

Political stability: a case study of United States

Political stability in developed countries is due to various reasons such as the economic
development, interest articulation, voting, political participation, political access to people etc.

Interest articulation:
In interest articulation people can make their demand and needs to government easily. The
people of United States articulate their interest because they have been guaranteed their First
Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Voting:
The citizen of US votes for their president after every 4 years and to their senators after every 2
years which shows the cohesiveness on government’s leaders and their programs. People
articulate their opinions as to who they want to run their governments.

Interest groups:
There are pluralistic groups in United States which means multiple groups articulate the same
interest. For example the Labor Unions are articulating the interest relating to working conditions
and wages. “Moreover there are several other groups such as anomic groups which shows
collective response to common problem by rioting and violence e.g. the Occupy Wall street
movement of 2010-2011.” 5

Political Access to People:

By using the political channels people get in touch with the elite politicians who are responsible
for policy making. These personal ties can help them to communicate with the governments and
hasten the policymaking process. They mobilize the populace behind particular causes by using
the media.

Civil Society:
People can freely engage in social and political interaction in a civil society without fear of
government supervision or control. “While organizations like NRA have a greater political
justification for their opposition to gun control, organizations like Greenpeace and PETA have
been founded to represent the public’s concerns regarding the environment and animal welfare.” 6
Civil society encourages people to cooperate for shared objectives while also teaching them how
to organize and voice their interest.

Political instability in developing countries: a case study of Pakistan

Political instability has become a major problem for both underdeveloped and developing
countries like Pakistan. Pakistan is politically unstable because of instable government, weak
political culture and inefficient political parties. To make the society integrated, for maintaining
legitimacy, economic development it is necessary to have a political stability. In an unstable
environment people feel powerless and prefer their own interest at state interest which leads to
the splitting of society and ultimately political instability. The developing and underdeveloped
countries of Asia and Africa like Pakistan are still confused as how to resolve the problems of
economic development, political participation.
Lenard Binder ascribed to five key issues which are responsible for political instability in a state.
These are: Identity crisis, legitimacy crisis, Penetration Crisis, Participation crisis and
Distribution crisis
The identity crisis can be clearly seen in Sindh and Baluchistan as well as the dismemberment of
East Pakistan is due to identity crisis. Pakistan is a pluralistic society because of which the
instability becomes more serious and also the role of leaders become significant. The
dysfunctional of federal system is also a problem in Pakistan. These crisis mainly occur when the

5
“What is Occupy Wall Street? The history of leaderless movements”,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/what-is-occupy-wall-street-the-history-of-leaderless-
movements/2011/10/10/gIQAwkFjaL_story.html, accessed on Nov 25, 2022
6
“Structural analysis USA”, https://analysisusa.weebly.com/interest-articulation.html, accessed on Nov 25, 2022
regional demands don’t get a satisfactory response from the state and cause a separation in
federation. These type of factors play a great role in the instability of political system
In Pakistan, political instability is the major factor and it is more serious in Pakistan as the role of
our political leaders becomes more important. The crisis becomes worse when the demands go to
an extreme and don’t get satisfactory response from the state. This was also the reason behind
the breakup of East Pakistan.
The problem of identity and legitimacy is closely related to each other. The sense of identity may
also be developed by accepting the laws provided by the authorities. The justice crisis regarded
with the form of governmental institutions, the breakdown in the constitutional structure and
authority of leadership. This crisis occurs when people reject the leaders' claimed orders and
rules.
These problems in Pakistan have been sharpened mainly due to the effects of rapid socio-
political mobilization and excessive and non-institutionalized role or civil and military
bureaucracy, which has unbalanced the entire political order of the country.
Dictatorship is also the major cause or stability; it makes the leadership weak. The current
political trend in Pakistan is forming alliances amongst different parties, which is also the reason
for instability in Pakistan.
The major difficulty Pakistan is creating is mismanagement of problem of war in terrorism.
“From September 2008, USA leading the NATO forces started attacking frontier areas of
Pakistan and breaking the supremacy of Pakistan in the name of terrorism”7. The terrorists may
be hiding in these areas. As a result, these attacks are increasing time by time and indirectly
contribute to the bad political situation.
Pakistan has important minerals, gas and coasts. In the world, now every field is determined by
competition. State-craft, conduct of diplomacy, policy making and economy are the most major
difficulties that every state has to face.
Nowadays, World is helping and supporting Pakistan, but in the presence of unfair leadership
and unstable conditions, the huge foreign aid is not giving any positive results. In Pakistan,
stability can be achieved by following the laws and rules provided by authorities and
organizations.

Conclusion:
To conclude, we can say that there are various factors responsible for political stability of which
demand making and political participation play a major role. Demand making helps in nation
building. In the absence of political participation people feel powerless and prefer their own
interests at state interests which is a major cause of political instability. Political stable
conditions helps the nations to make economic choices and to reduce the global inequality. The
government's commitment to the national interest, diminished engagement with unconstitutional
election components, public accountability, and growth-oriented policies are the major causes for
concern. Although voting is considered as the most significant civic duty but here are several

7
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/21/us-forces-secret-pakistan-raids, accessed on Nov 24, 2022
other factors involved. In order to run a system smoothly, to influence and participate in decision
making processes, to make everyone feel safe it is necessary to have a voice in government.