Parties, pressure and interest groups

In a democracy, different groups organise to get what they want from the government. Two main kinds of organisation:

• A political party seeks legitimate control of government through elections, in order to carry out a programme. It wants power.
• An interest group (or pressure group) pursues specific interests, for one section of society. It does not seek to govern; it influences those who do, mainly by lobbying legislators and officials.

Examples of interest groups in India:

Groups take up causes in many ways: petitions, lobbying, protests, strikes, media campaigns and court cases.

Max Weber said that parties live in a 'house of power': their aim is to gain power, whether to pursue a cause (an ideal) or for personal gain (jobs and positions for their members).

The pressure-group theory of democracy sees politics as a fair contest between organised groups, with the government balancing their demands.

But critics say not all groups have equal access. Big business has money, connections and expertise; landless labourers, slum dwellers and tribal people often have none. Some critics argue that the dominant classes in effect control the state. So the contest of interests is not an equal one.

Still, organising is how ordinary people make their voices heard: democracy is a contest of organised interests.