... opposed to once every 4 years when an election is held. The pluralist view has four main standpoints. Firstly Pressure groups are an important means of political representation. By joining a pressure group people are able to express their feelings on certain issues and help to influence government decisions on that issue. Secondly pressure groups complement political parties. By joining a pressure group the public can put pressure on political parties to give priority to certain issues. Thirdly Pressure groups ensure that the minority views are heard by decision makers. Fourthly Pressure groups help to disperse power away from central institutions, thus giving more power to the people and promoting democracy. This is the pluralist view however many commentators disagree with this viewpoint. I am now going to outline the opposition to, and criticisms of the pluralist view. The first point that must be made is that pluralism is a political ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now