On the other hand;
- Pressure groups improve participation, but in an unequal way, benefiting the well organised but disadvantaging the weakly organised.
- Pressure groups themselves may not be representative of their members. Their officers are not usually elected.
Few groups have procedures for consulting their members. As a result, the views expressed by group officials may not be shared by the group’s members.
- Although the views of pressure groups may sometimes be considered, they are likely to be ignored if they do not confirm with the ideology or agenda of the decision makers.
- Group opposition can slow down or block desirable changes, thereby contributing to social immobilisation.
Pressure groups are an essential dimension of any democracy, yet they can endanger democracy if groups undermine the public interest or if the methods they use are corrupt or intimidating.
There are different Types of Pressure Groups, customary Groups; groups not created for specific purposes but are simply part of the social fabric. This type of group defines a way of life. These have become more important to politics, especially in the post communist world where ethnic and religious identities provide a major focus. E.g. of such conflicts: Muslims and Christians in former Yugoslavia, indigenous majorities versus the Russian minority in the Baltic states, in the Western world and Protestants against Catholics in Northern Ireland.
Institutional Groups are large formal organizations, which are not founded to exert political pressure but are often drawn into political arena. They have an established role in society which gives them independent authority and a role in carrying out policy. Protective Groups are formally-organized groups which exist to protect the material interests of their members. These groups are founded to influence government and they have sanctions to achieve their goals. They are the most influential of pressure groups. An example of a protective pressure group is a trade union. A trade union is an organisation of workers created to protect and advance the interests of its members by negotiating agreements with employers on pay and conditions of work. Unions may also provide legal advice, financial assistance, sickness benefits and education facilities.
Promotional Groups are also called attitude or campaign group, these are set to promote ideas, identities, policies and values. These are not concerned with their members personal welfare or material interests. They promote a broad conception of public interest. A typical example of a promotional group in Malta is ‘Birdlife Malta’. Its mission is the protection of wild birds and their habitat.
There are different ways of how pressure groups influence other parties. Bureaucracy is the main pressure point, interest groups follow power and it is in executive offices that detailed decisions are made. Most Western governemtns follow a convention of discussion with organized opinion through consultative councils or committees. Assemblies are another channel where interest and demands can be voiced. If interest groups feel ignored in the policy making process, they may still be able to challenge decisions in the court. In the European Union, an interest group which is unsuccessful at home can take its case to the European Court of Justice.
Political parties and interest groups can be extremely close. Interest groups can blur into (or sometimes turn into) political parties: thus environmental groups in many countries have spawned green parties; a clear example in Malta is the AD. Some political parties are simply an offshoot of interest groups. An extract from the GWU site on the internet is a proof of this. Since the setting up of the GWU in 1943 and the subsequent revival of the Malta Labour Party immediately after World War II, the two organisation worked in full unity between them and as an effect the Labour Movement was born.
Press, radio and television provide an additional resource available to interest groups. The media are a cental focus for promotional groups seeking to steer public opinion. Traditionally, the media are less important to protective groups with their more specialized and secretive demands. But even protective groups seek the climate of public opinion, especially in political systems where assemblies are important.
Other methods of influencing is through direct action, protest and violence. A clear example of how pressure groups influence government and public opinion are some of the activities of Birdlife Malta, which resemble a lot of the activities of other groups, are carrying out studies, publishing material such as magazines, running educational programs in school, printing info sheet for free, giving out talks, keeping a healthy presence in media outlets and co-coordinating action and strategy with other partners.
Other examples of group influence are some of the actions that Greenpeace Malta take, such as sending letters to the ministry, releasing its findings in the newspapers, taking photos and publishing books and doing protests,
Some pressure groups are more effective than others, this is because of sanctions, which are useful to those in power. Protective groups, e.g industry association have more impact than promotional groups e.g. ecology movement. The density of membership is also important. A high density adds clout, low density reduces influence. In the EU, breadth of membership is especially important for lobbying organizations. Groups operating in Brussels need to show they are backed by national associations in all member countries. Only then will the Commission listen. Resources available to an interest group are fundamental, and money obviously helps.
Pressure groups are seen differently by Pluralists and Corporatists. According to the pluralist model, power is exercised by the mass of the population, rather than by a small elite group. Pluralists consider voting to be of only irregular significance. Therefore, voters do not have an opportunity to wield influence on the specific issues that concern them; so pluralists claim that people are able to exercise power between elections by joining interest groups - such as political parties, trade unions and other pressure groups. Group activity, they argue, is vital to the successful functioning of the political system than concentrated into the hands of a few and, at the same time, it allows the view of minority groups to be voiced.
Corporatists, by contrast, favor an organized integrated society in which the state offers leadership in pursuit of a vision shared with society. Decisions on domestic matters emerge from discussion between the government and a few leading protective groups.
To sum up Pressure groups provide a means by which ordinary citizens can participate in the decision-making process, as well as maintaining a check on government activity. Similarly governments can be better informed of the electorate’s sensitivities to policies because of the pressures articulated by these groups.
