Pressure/Interest

Group
What is interest group
2. Characteristics/ features of
interest group
3. Why people joint an interest
group
4. Differences between interest
group and political parties
5. Types of interest group
1.

What is Pressure/Interest
Group?

James J. Guy: a pressure group or an

interest group is any collection of people
organized to promote a goal they share or
to resist some objectives of government or
other groups that somehow relate to the
political process.

Other names for interest group : advocacy

group, lobbying group, pressure group, or
special interest
is a group, however loosely or tightly
organized would try to influence, encourage
or prevent changes in public policy/
government action without trying to be
elected.


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1. Characteristics:
They have a formal structure of
organization
They are able to aggregate and articulate
interests.
They influence public policies.
They try to influence power rather than
exercise the responsibility of government .

Why people join an interest

group
Economic self interest
2. Beliefs, Values, and attitudes
3. Social reasons.
-provides strength in numbers
1.

Difference between Pressure

Group and Political Party.
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Goals.
Nature of membership.
Almost unlimited number.

Types of Pressure Groups

1.

Associational pressure groups.

Formally organized groups which articulate the

shared interests of their members over long
periods of time and try to achieve the specific
and particular objectives of their members.
Type: Promotional, protective, functional and
professional groups.
e.g : Bar Council, MTUC, CAP, SUHAKAM,
FOMCA,

2. Non-Associational pressure groups.

They

have no formal organization. They are

composed of individuals who feel close to others on
the basis of class, race, religion, culture or gender.
They could become powerfully organized political
groups under right and appropriate circumstances.
Present in every society and at times they may
form temporary, loosely- structured organizations to
plan and coordinate political activity in an informal
way with regard to a particular issue.

Institutional groups
Groups which are within the government and
attempt to exert influence or pressure through the
machinery of the government itself.
They act internally (through negotiation and
dialogue) to influence public decisions or policies or
to defend their own interests.
Relatively
well-structured, formal
enduring
organizations with stable membership and clear
objectives
E.g: CUEPACS, armed force/police association

Anomic groups
Anomie= a sense of separation from social norms.
The groups are spontaneously born when people strongly
oppose specific policies [that demands immediate political
action or excitement, turmoil crisis and specific event
Unplanned groups which come into existence . Do not have
a formal structure or leaders and their actions are often
violent. They act spontaneously and in an uncoordinated
fashion and are short-lived. They express their grievances
through violent riots, demonstrations and street protests
e,.g: Israel offensive in Gaza, protest against US and
Australian Embassy for their clandestine act

Types of Pressure Groups

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Based on focus or orientation.

Self-interested.
Promotional.
Based on structure.
Issue-oriented.
Institutionalized.

Role of Pressure Groups

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Political representation.
Responsive political process.
Mediator between the people and
government. (link)
Supplementing government agencies.
Peoples empowerment.
Preventing concentration of power.

Methods of Influence

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Direct methods:
Seeking elections of like-minded representatives
Seeking access to public officials
Mounting mass media campaigns.
Indirect methods:
Through MPs who are members of groups
Through spouses
Through part-time trade representatives who have continuous
access to public officers.
Retired bureaucrats who still have access.

Methods of Influence

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Methods used vary according to:

The structure of political institutions
The nature of the party system
The political culture
The nature of the issue
The nature of the group.

Tactics of Pressure Groups

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Either manifest or latent.

In an open political system, groups adopt:
Lobbying. Inducing MPs to introduce,
modify, pass or kill a particular bill.
Industrial action. Boycotts, strikes.
Illegitimate and coercive tactics

Appraisal/ evaluation
Do we need pressure groups
Critics of pressure groups [a] individuality is lost
[2] significant no of population do not belong to a
group [c] many groups are limited by the iron law
of oligarchy [d] all groups are not equally treated
[e] narrow interest over the national interests.
However, democracy needs participation.
Pressure groups provide this.