“Political parties and pressure groups are sine qua none of democracy." Comment. (UPSC CSE Mains 2021 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 2)
- Both political parties and pressure groups are generally comprised of individuals with similar views on policy and governance who organize together to achieve their policy goals.
- Pressure groups and political parties constitute very important structure of a political system. Both pressure groups and political parties are extra-constitutional agencies and play a crucial role in the political process. Pressure groups may give rise to political parties.
- A political party is a larger organisation, while a pressure group is comparatively a small organisation. The main objective of a political party is to come to power whereas the main concern of a pressure group is to influence the government for promoting its specific interest. However political parties have to represent the aggregate of diverse interests of the people. That is why pressure groups are regarded as non-political. Parties put up their candidates, try to win maxinium number of seats in the legislature and form government if possible.
- Pressure Groups do not, on their own, do any of these things. A political party requires an ideology which enables it to have an identity. Pressure groups do not need ideology and sometimes they may be subjected to tlie influence of an ideology.
- Pressure groups try to bring about changes in policies of the government either by influencing its institutions, or even otherwise. Almost all democracies have adopted the electoral democracy mode. Thus, it is also argued that voters loose control over the government after elections. Pressure groups help to retain such control over the government, making it accountable.
- Political parties and pressure groups are essential for the healthy working of modern democratic states and will continue to exist in one form or another.
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