Evaluate the pluralist claim that power is distributed among competing interest groups in society.

The pluralist perspective of power within the state has been highly influenced by Weber's theory of the three sources of power. However in their argument, pluralists tend to concentrate on the desires of groups or individuals to achieve a particular end. The pluralist view is that 'power is best measured by comparing the stated wishes of individuals or groups to the decisions made by the government'.

Steven Luke's ideas of power although radical are sometimes similar to those of the pluralist. Luke argued that power has three dimensions rather than just one. According to Luke, the first 'face' of power is about decision making. Here, different organisations or groups express different policy preferences and influence the making of decisions over various issues.

The second 'face' of power focuses on non-decision making, for example power may be used to prevent certain issues from being discussed, or decisions about them from being taken. So, individuals exercise power by preventing those making a decision to look at alternative sources of action.

Similar to pluralists, Luke's third face of power focuses on desires; however Luke in his argument focuses on the 'shaping of desires'. Luke claims that power can be exercised by shaping desires, manipulating the wishes and desires of social groups.

The pluralist argument takes two perspectives. The first and original ideas of pluralism are known as classical pluralism.

The classical pluralist perspective on power has important aspects similar to Parsons functionalist perspective. Classical pluralists and Parsons both agree on the following;

. The government and state in a western democracy act in the interest of that society.

2. They regard the political systems of Britain, USA and France as the most effective way to exercise power and govern a country.

3. The exercise of power through the state is legitimate rather than coercive as it is based on the cooperation of the population.

However contrary to Parsons views that there is a variable sum of power held by society as a whole, classical pluralists believe that there is a fixed amount of power which is distributed among the population. Classical Pluralists strongly believe that the state acts as a mediator between different groups of society at a time, ensuring that all of them have some influence on government policy. They do not believe that a complete value consensus exists.

Classical pluralists further go on to claim that power can be exercised in the form of a political party. Pluralists claim that 'competition for office between political parties provides the electorate with an opportunity to select its leaders and a means of influencing government policy'.

Seymour M. Lipset states;

' for efficient government, competition between contenders for office must result in the granting of effective authority to one group, and the presence of an effective opposition as a way of evaluating the power of the governing party'.

The second perspective of pluralism, a more modern perspective is known as Elite pluralism. Elite pluaralist ideas conflict with the classical pluralist idea in a number of ways;

* They do not accept that all members of society have exactly the same amount of power.

* They do not concentrate exclusively on the first face of power

* They see elites, the leaders of groups as the main participants in decision making.