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8.2. How pressure groups threaten democracy?

Some political scientists and politicians have taken the view that pressure groups are non- democratic, or even anti-democratic, in the sense that they intervene in the political process, which is based on electoral accountability. A 2014 Intelligence Bureau report had also highlighted that foreign-funded NGOs were “negatively impacting economic development” in India. The ways in which the pressure groups threaten democracy are listed below:

 

Increase political inequalityExert ‘behind the scenes’ influenceExercise non-legitimate powerLead to the tyranny of the minority