ii. Insiders and Outsiders

The insider/outsider distinction is based on a group’s relationship to government. It therefore affects both the strategies adopted by a group and its status i.e. whether or not it is considered ‘legitimate’ or ‘established’.

Insider groups are groups that are consulted on a regular basis by government. They operate ‘inside’ the decision-making process. They may also sit on government policy committees and agencies and have links to parliamentary select committees. Therefore, the insider pressure groups have a better chance of creating an impact on how the policy shapes up, as they are consulted at various stages of policy formulation. Some of the examples of insider groups are National Advisory Council, CII etc.

Outsider groups, on the other hand, are the ones that are not so closely involved with the decision makers and who find it harder to get their voices heard in the higher echelons of policy making. They are kept, or choose to remain, at arm’s length from government. They therefore try to exert influence indirectly via the mass media or through public opinion campaigns. One of the examples of an outsider group is the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) which has been pushing for reforms in the way representatives are elected by the citizens of India.

But at times many groups employ both insider and outsider tactics. This certainly applies in the

case of high-profile insider groups, which recognize that the ability to mount public-opinion and media campaigns strengthens their hands when it comes to bargaining with government.