Purpose of a Pressure Group

Although some pressure groups were set up for the specific purpose of influencing government, many pressure groups exist for other purposes and only engage in politics as a secondary or associated activity. As pressure groups exert influence on government from outside, they do not therefore put candidates up for election. In that sense, they are part of civil society. These groups use various methods to achieve their aims including lobbying, research campaigns, media campaigns, policy briefs and polls.

Pressure groups can therefore act as a channel of communication between the people and government.

Pressure groups are defined by the following key features:

♤ External to the Govt.: Pressure groups do not make policy decisions, but rather try to influence those who do (the policy-makers). In that sense, they are ‘external’ to government.

♤ Narrow Domain: They typically have a narrow issue focus. In some cases, they may focus on a single issue (for instance opposing a planned road development).

♤ Shared beliefs or interests: Their members are united by either a shared belief in a particular cause or a common set of interests. People with different ideological and party preferences may thus work happily together as members of the same pressure group.

♤ Protection of interests: Each pressure group organises itself keeping in view certain interests and thus tries to adopt the structure of power in the political systems. In every government and political party there are clashing interest groups. These groups try to dominate the political structure and to see that groups whose interests clash with theirs are suppressed.

♤ Use of modern as well as traditional means: They try to follow modern means of exerting pressure, without fully giving up the traditional or old ways of operation. They adopt techniques like financing of political parties, sponsoring their close candidates at the time of elections and maintaining relations with the bureaucracy. Their traditional means include exploitation of caste, creed and religious feelings to promote their interests.