Pressure Groups Debate

• Pressure groups help to disperse power and influence more widely.
• Pressure groups educate the public about important political issues.
• Pressure groups give people more opportunities to participate in politics without having to sacrifice too much of their time and attention.
• Pressure groups can promote and protect the interests and rights of minorities.
• Pressure groups help to call government to account by publicising the effects of policy.
• Some pressure groups are elitist and tend to concentrate power in too few hands.
• Influential pressure groups may distort information in their own interests.
• Pressure groups that are internally undemocratic may not accurately represent the views of their members and supporters.
• Finance is a key factor in political influence, so groups that are wealthy may wield a disproportionate amount of influence.
• The use of civil disobedience, particularly illegal actions, can undermine the freedoms and rights of other citizens