Consider whether the activities of pressure groups help or hinder the operation of a pluralist democracy in the USA.

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Consider whether the activities of pressure groups help or hinder the operation of a pluralist democracy in the USA.

Interest groups seek to influence decision makers in to vote in a way that benefit's the group's interests such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the American Medical Association (AMA). The US is a pluralist democracy which means that there is more than one centre of power, this means that there are many access points that interest groups can target. Many interest groups have offices on Washington DC's "K Street" giving easy access to the Capitol which is the centre of US Federal Government. There are varying views on interest groups and their effects on democracy, the main viewpoints are those of pluralists, neo-elitists and elitists.

The Pluralists are of the opinion that interest groups are good for society and act as a safety valve, as expressed by Robert Dahl in his book "Who Governs".

Interest groups allow groups of people who share the same ideals to come together and act towards furthering their views and representing those without representation, be it through disenfranchisement, lack of awareness or the dominance of another