Political Development and Pressure Groups: Revisiting their Theoretical Underpinnings
| Published date | 01 July 2015 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120150317 |
| Date | 01 July 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
AND
PRESSURE
GROUPS: REVISITING
THEIR
THEORETICAL
UNDERPINNINGS
SUJATA
SINGH
Pressure groups
or
interest groups are at the core
of
democratic
process. The origin
of
pressure groups is closely intertwined
with the birth
and
growth
of
political parties. The umbilical
bond between political parties
and
pressure groups remains
complex. Pressure groups in Western democracies as well as
in the developing countries have served as fertile ground
for
the creation
of
political parties.
At
the same time political
parties have been instrumental
in
creating a large number
of
pressure groups serving as their satellites
to
represent varied
interests. This especially applies to the larger political parties.
However. development theorists have argued that the nature
of
pressure groups
is
largely dependent on the maturity
of
the political system. The development theories
of
the 1950s
and
'60s held that transitional societies suffered from lack
of
universalistic
and
rational orientations which
in
turn impacted
on the organisation
and
functioning
of
interest groups
in
that
they
too
exhibited the same orientations. The article tries to
analyse the literature from varied sources
in
order to assess the
role
of
political development in the growth
of
pressure groups.
Their relevance to the present situation
is
also analysed.
INTRODUCTION
PRESSURE GROUPS, in a broad sense, are based on shared values among
its members that bring them together on a common issue. They then make
certain demands on other groups in society. The terms interest groups or
pressure groups have been used interchangeably in much
of
the development
literature
of
the 1950s and 60s. The article examines interest groups in the
context
of
political development, to analyse how it impacted their growth.
The mid-20th Century marked a turning point for a large part
of
the
world hitherto under colonial rule. The dawn
of
independence heralded
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