Answer:

Within western countries there are differences between Presidential and Parliamentary form of government. India though a parliamentary democracy differs from west in terms of developmental levels. Therefore there are some differences in the role of pressure groups. Some of the differences are:

♤ The American pressure groups are regarded as the fourth organ of the government but the Indian pressure groups are not yet able to play such significant role in politics.

♤ In India and Great Britain the cabinet and civil service are the main targets of pressure groups for lobbying purposes rather than the parliament. However, the targets of American pressure groups are the Congress and its committees rather than the President for lobbying purposes.

♤ Indian pressure groups based on caste, religion, region, etc. are more powerful than the modern groups like business organisations.

♤ A significant feature of American pressure groups is that in the USA, pressure groups take interest in foreign policy issues while in India, pressure groups do not seem to have interest in foreign policy matters. Comparatively, the Indian pressure groups are concerned more with domestic policy issues and problems, and less with foreign policy matters.

However in general, despite the differences, democratic politics presupposes the crucial role of pressure groups for serving the interests of different sections of society.