Himachal Pradesh National Law University

Assignment

Topic- Importance of Pressure Groups in a Democracy

Submitted To- Dr. Ved Prakash Sharma

Assisstant Professor Of Political Science

Submitted By – Ashpinder Kaur

First Year, B.A.-LLB

Enronllement no -1020220128

1
 DECLARATION

Student Name Ashpinder Kaur

Enronllement No 1020220128
Course Name B A LLB (Hons)
Course Code LLB
Due Date Nov 26,2022
Teacher/Supervisor Dr. Ved Prakash
Sharma

I hereby declare that this assignment has been written by me and is a result of my own endeavours

 has not been used for another exam at any other department/ university/ college in India or any other
country

 does not refer to/ quote work of others without stating it in the text or in the reference list

 does not refer to/ quote previous writings of my own without stating it both in the text and in the
reference list

 mentions, explicitly, all sources of information in the reference list

I am aware of the fact that violation of these clauses is regarded as plagiarism, and can result in annulment of
assignment.

2
CONTENT :

Topic Name Page No

Acknowledgement 4
Introduction 5
Characteristics of 7
Pressure Groups
Provision in Constitution 8
Types 8
Techniques Used 12
Functions 15
Importance 18
Conclusion 19
Bibliography 20

3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Every project, however big or small it may be and however important it is, is successful largely
due to the efforts and dedication of a number of persons who have helped in whatever way they can, by
providing information related to it or by giving advice that is essential in the completion of the project. I
sincerely appreciate the assistance of these people and thank them for their support and guidance that was
instrumental in making this project a success.

I, ASHPINDER KAUR, a student of Himachal Pradesh National Law University (Shimla), am grateful to the
University for the confidence bestowed in me and entrusting my ability.
I also appreciate and extend my thanks to my project guide, DR. VED PRAKASH SHARMA, who helped me
while compiling the project. Her insight has been extremely valuable in the completion of this project.

I would like to show my gratitude to my parents and friends for sharing their pearls of wisdom with me during
the course of this research work.

4
How can be a farmer union be so powerful that it can persuade the government to repeal the laws which were
passed by the government itself a year ago ?

Well, to answer this question we first need to understand the role played by Farmer Union’s as a ‘Pressure
Group’ in a Democracy?

What is a pressure group ?

A Group means a collection of individuals and when they are together for their common interest , then that
group is known as a pressure group. This group not only fight for their common interest but they also try to
influence the decisions of the government , try to change the policies in a specific direction according to their
interest . They do not want political power or recognization but they work for their common interest of their
group. Pressure groups are basically non political entities who fight for their common interest.

Example : All India Trade Union Congress(AITUC) – This group is specifically for the people who have
interest in trade.

Bar Council of India(BCI)-This group is specifically for lawyers and advocates.

5
What does scholars say about ‘Pressure Groups’?

In the words of R.T. Mackenzie ,” They are organized groups which attempt to influence government decisions
without seeking themselves to exercise the formal powers of govt. Such groups are a far more important
channel of communication than parties for the transmission of political ideas from the mass of the citizenry to
their rulers”.

W. J. M. Mackenzie defined them as “organised groups possessing both formal structure and real common
interests in so far as they influence the decisions of public bodies”.

Moodie and Studdert-Kennedy defined them as “any organised group which attempts to influence
Government” .

Samuel Finer defined them as “organisations ... trying to influence the policy of public bodies in their own
chosen direction, though never themselves prepared to undertake the direct Government of the country” .

Peter Shipley defined them as “an association of individuals joined together by a common interest, belief,
activity or purpose that seeks to achieve its objectives, further its interests and enhance its status in relation to
other groups, by gaining the approval and co-operation of authority in the form of favourable policies,
legislation and conditions”.

6
Characteristics of pressure groups:

1)Collection of individuals: It is a group of collection of individuals who share common interest.

2)We Feeling: They share a feeling of oneness , they are together for their common goal .

3)Specific interest: These groups work towards a specific interest .Like Student unions work for the rights of
students and stood up against all those forces who violate their rights. The farmer union works for the welfare of
the farmers and speak for issues like MSP(Minimum Support Price).

4) Independent of political participation: These groups are independent of any political participation as their
main aim is to influence the decision taken by the current government.

5) Various Methods: These groups use a lot of different methods to pressurize the government .

Example-By writing letters, Filling writ petitions in the courts, Direct campaigns against the policies of the
government.

6) Use of Traditional and Modern methods: They use strategies including funding political parties, endorsing
their preferred candidates during elections, and keeping the bureaucracy happy. Expolitation of creed, religion,
caste are some of the Traditional methods.

7) Rise of Pressure Groups: The growth of pressure groups is a direct result of increasing pressure and demands
on resources, as well as claims and counterclaims on those resources from various and conflicting sections of
society.

7
Provisions in Indian Constitution regarding the Pressure Groups:

The Indian constitution gives the right to form associations /unions/cooperative socities to the citizens . These
associations later on became pressure groups when they fight for their common interest . The right to create
associations denotes that a group of people come together and voluntarily form an organisation with a common
goal, legal purpose, and shared interest.

“Article 19 (1)(c) accords all citizens the right to form associations or unions or cooperative sociteies.

However, under clause (4) of article 19 the government can restrict the right to form association on three
grounds:

1) Morality

2)Public order

3) Sovereignity and Integrity of India

Types of Pressure Groups:

The Pressure groups are classified into four types according to Gabriel Abraham Almond. He was a famous
American political scientist.

1)Associational Groups

2)Non –Associational Groups

3)Institutional Groups

4)Anomic Groups

1) Associational Groups: These groups have a separate and a unique name, political idealogy
and headquater that reflect their ideologies, beliefs and values .They are organized in terms
of achieving their goals as they have proper procedure and full time professional staff. As
their interest are specific so their goals are limited.
According to Almond and Powell, “ Associational pressure groups are the specialized
structure for interest articulation , example: trade unions ,organization of businessmen or
industrialists ,ethnic associations , organized by religious denominations and civilian groups.
Their particular characteristics are explicit representation of the interests of a particular
group, a full time professional staff and orderly procedure for the formulation of interest and
demand”.
Examples of Associational Groups:
1) Trade unions - AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress)

8
 2) Business organizations- Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of
Commerce
3) Student organizations-National Students Union of India (NSUI)

4)Government Employee’s Associations- National Organization of Government Employees

2) Non – Associational groups:This group is also known as traditional group. They are informal groups
and they articulate their interest through family,individuals and religious heads informally . They are basically
the religious, caste, kinship, ethnic groups which are active in Indian politics from the very beginning .

Example of Non-Associational Groups:

1) Communal and religious groups- RSS( Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu
Parishad, Jamaat-e-Islami
2) Caste groups-Hrijan Sevak Sangh, Nadar Caste Association
3) Language groups –Tamil Sangh,Andhra Maha Sabha

3)Institutional Groups :

In the words of Almond and Powell ,”Institutional interest groups are found within such organizations as
political parties, legislatures, armies, churches and bureaucracies. These are formal organizations ,composed of
professionally employed by personnel ,with designated political and social functions other than interest
articulation. But either as corporate bodies or as small groups within these bodies, these groups may articulate
their own interests or represent the interests of other groups in a society”.So basically this type of groups
involve the government employees ,they are within the government and they try to influence the policies by
pressurizing the government through constitutional means.

Examples of Institutional Groups:

1) The Congress Working Committee

2) The Congress Parliamentary Board
3) The Chief Minister’s Club

4)Anomic Groups:

In the words of Almond and Powell,” By anomic pressure groups we mean more or less a spontaneous
breakthrough into the political system from the society, such as riots, demonstrations, assaniations and the like
.”This group use violence as a mean to achieve their goals ,sometimes they use radical extraconstitutional
means also.They do riots , burn the government property, looting and destruction of public property ,fasting,
dislocating telephone,uprooting of railway tracks are some of the activities which are used by Anomic groups to
achieve their goal.

9
 Some Important Pressure Groups:
Type of Purpose: Example:
Pressure
Groups:
1)Professional This group Indian
Groups consists of Medical
professionally Association
employed (IMA), Bar
Members. Council of
India (BCI),
All India
Federation of
University and
College
Teachers
(AIFUCT)
2)Agrarian This group All India
Groups work towards Kisan Sabha,
the welfare of Bharatiya
farmers. Kisan Union,
3)Tribal This group National
Groups work towards Socialist
the welfare of Council of
tribal section of Nagaland
our society. (NSCN),
Tribal
National
Volunteers
(TNU) in
Tripura,
United Mizo
federal org,
Tribal League
of Assam
4)Anomic This group Naxalite
Groups achieve their Groups,
goal by radical Jammu and
means. Kashmir
Liberation
Front (JKLF),
United
Liberation
Front of
Assam
(ULFA), Dal
Khalsa
5)Student’s This group Akhila
Organisations work towards Bhartiya
10
 the welfare of Vidyarthi
students but Parishad
some groups (ABVP), All
are associated India Students
with political Federation
parties like (AISF),
NSUI with National
Congress. Students
Union of India
(NSUI)
6)Ideology This group Narmada
based Groups reflects Bachao
different Andolan,
ideologies Chipko
which are Movement,
supported by Women's
the members of Rights
this group. Organisation,
India Against
Corruption
7)Trade Unions This group All-India
works towards Trade Union
the interest of Congress
traders. (AITUC),
Indian
National
Trade Union
Congress
(INTUC),
Hind Mazdoor
Sabha (HMS),
Bharatiya
Mazdoor
Sangh (BMS)

11
Techniques used by Pressure Groups to influence the government decisions or policies:

The technique which will be used by a pressure will depend upon two factors :

1)What resources are available ? According to the resources what all strategies are there ?

2)How effective will be the strategy used by pressure group ?

By keeping these two questions in mind , the pressure group will select a particular technique or strategy to
influence the government decisions.

1) Parliament:

Groups that are unable to influence the executive branch may try to do so through Parliament. Although
parliament is a stiff body but in some instances, organisations might use parliamentary lobbying to supplement
interactions with ministers and government employees. They try to influence the government employees and
then these empolyees influence the ministers who have the authority to make decisions. Changes can be made to
the specifics of legislation or the public perception of a political problem, even though doing so will have less of
an impact than doing so on the executive. This can be done by making contacts and trying to influence the
members of committee inquiries , by asking the MPs to ask written and oral parliamentary questions. A MP
which is not a part of cabinet can also bring a private member’s bill for the interest of the pressure group.

Example- Varun Gandhi , an MP brought a private member’s bill for the guarantee of MSP to the farmers.

In the history of Indian parliament , 14 private member’s bill were passed by the parliament.

2)Political Parties:

One of the indirect way, which is used by pressure groups is to influence the political parties by donating them
funds . By donating a particular party when the party is not in power and in future when the party is in power
then they try to influence the decision makers to take those decisions which are in their common interest.
Pressure groups sometimes support a particular candidate for MP or MLA election who they believe can take
decisions in favour of their interest.

3)Ministers and Civil Servants:

At the centre of the "core executive," the network of organisations led by the Prime Minister and Cabinet and
responsible for formulating government policy, are ministers and civil officials. Power is located here.
Therefore, many organisations hope to contact key government officials and ministers.To exert some control
over the policies as they are being put into effect. Regular behind-the-scenes contacts with civil workers and
participation in policy committees may be the most significant ways to exert influence, even though such
influence may involve formal and informal encounters with ministers. Even sometimes ministers also accept the
demands of the pressure groups because they believe that in the upcoming election the members of that
particular pressure group will vote and support them.

4)Public Opinion:

12
Outside groups use these tactics, however prominent insider groups may also participate in public opinion
campaigning. These tactics' main objective is to persuade the decisions of the government .By advancing issues
on the political agenda and showcasing the extent of public support for a given cause, issues are indirectly
influenced by the government. The hope is that the administration would pay heed out of concern for possible
political repercussions. As we know that a political party wants to be in power , so the pressure groups by
setting a political agenda in the public shows that if they are not going to accept their demands , then that
specific political party should be ready to deal with the repercussions in the upcoming elections. This is one of
the best way to put pressure on the government and it is also successful to some extent.

5)Direct Action:

Some types of public opinion advocacy intersect with direct action as a political tactic. While most of the
actions or strategies which are adopted by the pressure groups are based on constitutional framework but
sometimes the action is intended to create a disturbance or discomfort. These actions may be violent or non-
violent action. The non-violent actions are based on legal framework constitutional rights which are like
freedom of expression ,right to protest . The violent actions are usually done by the anomic groups like
destroying the public property.

6)Appealing to Courts:

If a law is passed which the violates the rights of a particular group then they can approach the court for the
injuction or bye-passing that specific law which violates their law.

Provision of ‘Right to protest in Indian Constitution’:

The Right to Protest can be inferred from the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19 even
though it is not an explicit right under the Fundamental Rights.

Article 19(1)(a): The right to free speech and expression is changed to include the freedom to express opinions
on how the government is acting.

Article 19(1)(b): Associations must be formed for political purposes in accordance with the right to
association.These may be established to unite opposition to governmental actions.

According to Article 19(1)(c), people have the right to peacefully congregate in order to express their
disapproval of government actions through rallies, agitations, and public gatherings as well as to start long-
lasting protest movements.

Together, these rights give every citizen the ability to come together in a peaceful protest against the State's
actions or inactions. The right to protest guarantees that people can serve as watchdogs and continuously
scrutinise the actions of governments.

13
Examples of peaceful protest -1) The 2012 gangrape case : One of the angrier responses to the 2012 Delhi gang
rape event came from thousands of people protested in the streets around the nation. Social media was also
agitated by the campaign. The federal government and numerous states declared a number of actions to
guarantee the safety of women in light of the movement.

1)Anna Adolan-The goal of the Indian anti-corruption movement, also known as the Anna Andolan, which
started in 2011 and spread across the country, was to enact strict laws and enforce them in order to combat what
was thought to be widespread political corruption.The anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare started a hunger
strike at the Jantar Mantar monument in New Delhi on April 5, 2011, and this gave the movement a boost. The
Jan Lokpal Bill was introduced as part of the campaign to reduce corruption in the Indian government.

Examples of violent protest-1) Jatt Andolan: In February 2016, the state of Haryana experienced a
lockdown as members of the Jat community sought political and economic reservations from the
government. In parts of the state, protesters clashed with security forces, killing over 30 people.

2)Agnipath scheme: In numerous states, protests against the Agnipath programme, which the Centre is
using to recruit soldiers, sailors, and airmen for the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force,
turned violent. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh both saw train fires.

14
Functions of Pressure Groups:

The Pressure groups perform several functions in a democracy ranging from representation to policy
formulation. Some of them are listed below:

1)Representation:

 These groups are a form of opposition for the current government.

 As the role played by them is of informal face of politics.
 They represent the interest of marginalized sections of the society.
 Example- The dalit section , The women groups who particularly voice their opinion for the people who
were oppressed by the dominaiting class of the society .
 By organising public support through actions like petitions, marches, discussions, protests,
demonstrations, and other forms, they specifically exert influence.

2)Policy Formulation:

 These groups are not capable of directly influencing the policy formulation, but their opinions and value
judgements regaring a issue like ‘ what ought to be’ are capable of influencing the policy formulation.
 Their opinions are taken while introducing a new law or repealing a previous law.
 They basically act as a ‘suggestion cell’ for government .
 They are a vital source of information.

3)Education and Research:

 When these groups share their suggestion ,opinions, value based judgements regarding a certain a policy
then a lot need to be researched , So these groups also act as the ‘Research cells’.
 For commenting on a government policy , they need proper research, collection and analysis of data
which is sometimes carried by a special cell of the pressure groups.
 To spread their views about a particular policy , they write books ,publish magazines and articles in the
newspaper .

4)Policy Implementation:

 Pressure groups serve as a democratic forum for group members to voice their thoughts as well as a
responsible source of criticism for the government, the political system, and the public at large.
 Pressure groups help in the implementation of policies by the government by legal and legitimate
means, such as lobbying, correspondence, publicity, propagandising, petitions, public discussion,
keeping in touch with politicians, and so on.

5)Influencing the Media:

 These pressure groups try to influence the media , they try to become the headline of the news so that
they can easily change the opinion of the public.
 If they are successful in changing the opinion of the public then it will be easy for them to pressurize the
government for taking a particular decision in their favor.

15
Role of Pressure Groups in a democracy:
According to pluralists( advocating a system where multiple ideas coexist, where the power is shared by many
instead of one ), pressure organisations strengthen the notion of democracy. Elitists ( who advocates the idea
that the system should be led by elite)contend that these organisations highlight and undermine the democratic
process. Pressure organisations work to advance democracy by:

1.Providing an addition to electoral democracy :Due to the fact that they keep the government aware of
public sentiment in between elections, pluralists contend that pressure groups may supplement electoral
democracy. There are elections every five years, but pressure groups keep the government in constant
communication with the populace. Similar to this, pressure groups give minorities and weaker groups in society
a political voice. Pressure groups also express concerns about a range of social issues, including poverty, the
environment, domestic abuse, and basic rights and liberties.

2.Advocate of Rights: These pressure groups are the advocates of the basic rights and liberties in a democracy .
The fundamental rights are which are given by the Indian constitution , If the state violates any one of them then
these groups voice out loudly for such violations.

3.Constant touch with the Government: The time the government is elected and till the time its re-elected , it
is the duty of the pressure groups to raise up the important issues.

4.Pluralism and Pressure Groups: According to the plurality theory of political power, rather than being
concentrated in the hands of an elite or governing class, power is widely and equitably distributed across
society. As a result, the pluralists have a favourable opinion of pressure-group politics since they think that
these organisations foster constructive debate and discussion and support the democratic process. The following
premises form the basis of pluralism:

i)Citizens' representation comes mostly through their participation in organised groups.

ii)Every faction has some level of political power.

iii)Pressure organisations have access to a variety of resources and "levers" (money, people, protests, etc.), and
these are widely dispersed.

iv)Because there is always a "countervailing power," no group can establish a dominant position because other
groups will always oppose it.

5.Participation in Democracy: At its core, democracy refers to a system of representative, popular, and
democratic government. Elections with low turnout, however, are hardly a positive reflection on democracy.
They become powerful facilitators of political involvement if the number of pressure groups grows or if their
influence grows.

6.Gains from Competition :By distributing political power more widely, pressure organisations aid in the
promotion of democracy. They compete with one another, which contributes to their behaviour. This makes it
so that no party or interest can ever have a monopoly on power.

16
7.Different Viewpoints: By encouraging political debate, discussion, and argument, pressure organisations
help to develop a more informed and educated electorate. This raises the standard of public policy. If pressure
organisations didn't exist, the public and the media would be forced to rely on a relatively small number of
political viewpoints, including those voiced by the current administration and a select few major parties.

8.Check on Accountability: Pressure Groups support the government's accountability and function as a crucial
check on its acts and inaction. It promotes the growth of an adaptable and proactive government. For instance,
the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghthan (MKSS), a people's group, could be successful in having the people in the
State of Rajasthan question and demand information on money spent on roads; loans to the poor; and other
expenditures.

How the Pressure Groups threaten the Democracy?

 Increasing Political Inequality: Pressure groups frequently give the already powerful more power.
Thus, they do not lessen political inequality; rather, they enhance it. Though the Pluralists contend that
political inequality is mostly democratic because the most successful groups typically have big
memberships and receive widespread, possibly heated public support, this is realistically very
challenging to preserve.Practically speaking, pressure groups with the most clout are those with the most
resources—cash, knowledge, institutional clout, and special access to the government.

• Instability: The majority of pressure organisations are unstable, lack commitment, and change their
allegiances according to political circumstances, which poses a threat to public welfare.

• Political Interest: Pressure organisations no longer have an influence on politics; instead, they serve as
implements and tools for the advancement of political interests.

 Unjustified power: Since the pressure-group leaders are not elected, critics contend that they use
illegitimate power to exert influence. Only a small number of pressure groups are internally democratic.
The majority of pressure group leaders are self-described.
 A "behind the scenes" factor : Influence from pressure groups is not subject to public oversight or
accountability. These organisations, especially the internal ones, typically work "behind closed doors,"
away from the prying eyes of the public and the media.
 Violence against minorities : The pressure organisations represent minorities rather than the majority
by their very nature. As a result, they risk creating the opposite issue after preventing the tyranny of the
majority.

17
 Importance of Pressure groups in a Democracy:

The pressure groups play a very important role in promoting the voice of the depressed class, they are active in
the informal politics of a democratic country. Below are some of the important functions :

 Promote discussion and debate and mobilise public opinion on key issues.
 Perform a role in educating citizens about specific issues.
 Groups can enhance democratic participation, pluralism and diversity.
 Groups raise and articulate issues that political parties perhaps won’t touch because of their sensitivity.
 They provide an important access point for those seeking redress of grievance.
 They represent minorities who cannot represent themselves.
 Groups can be an important and valuable source of specialist information / expertise for an overloaded
legislature and civil servirces.
 Many groups play an important role in implementing changes to public policy.
 Pressure groups encourage a decentralisation of power within the political system.
 They act as a check and balance to the power of executive government.

18
CONCLUSION:

Today, pressure organisations are viewed as a necessary and beneficial component of the democratic process.
Because of how complex society has gotten, people cannot follow their interests alone. They require the
backing of other living things in order to have more negotiating power, which leads to the formation of pressure
groups with shared objectives. Politics in a democratic society must involve negotiation, consultation, and some
degree of bargaining. Therefore, it is imperative that the government consult these organised groups when
developing and implementing policy.

19
Bibliography:

Internet sites:

1) https://www.drishtiias.com
2) https://byjus.com
3) https://upscpathshala.com
4) https://www.jagranjosh.com
5) https://unacademy.com

Books:

1) Principles of Political Science (Dr. Anup Chand Kapur)

2) Principles of Modern Political Science (J. C. Johari)

3) Indian Political System (Himanshu Roy, Mahendra Prasad Singh)

4) Indian Political System (J. C. Johari)

5) Indian Government and Politics (A.P. Avasthi)

20