Obaba Museum

Obaba: In liberal democratic systems, there are two modes of mass representation. One is Political parties (and the electoral process) while the other is pressure groups. For the purpose of our discussion we would be focusing on the latter (pressure groups). So what are pressure groups?

Joan: A pressure group is an organization that tries to influence the policy of the government to the interest of it’s members. It can also be regarded as any group of people who attempt to influence the government or government decision making in certain ways. Pressure Groups usually attempt to influence the government not only on existing legislations but also on proposed legislations.

Actually, the concept of pressure group originated from the United States as a subset of the group theory pioneered by David Truman and Arthur Bentley.

Obaba: This is really getting interesting.

Joan: (laughs) Yes, before you can understand the concept of pressure groups, you have to understand group theory.

Obaba: (cuts in) What is group theory?

Joan: Group theory is concerned with the study of how individual political actors assemble to form political groups that participate in politics and influence government. Pressure Groups are created by focusing on various social, political, economic, religious, vocational and other interests of the people.

Obaba: Thank you so much Joan. What are the attributes/features of these groups?

Joan: Well some of the features of pressure groups could be seen in the functions it performs.

• It plays a vital role in establishing public relations with the government: through all these groups, the people’s scarcity and demands are brought to the notice of the government.
• It keeps a close watch on the activities of the government.
• They promote and protect the interest of their members: they seek to gain widespread public support in favour of group interests by influencing the government.
• Pressure Groups also play a vital role in political socialization/education thereby arousing the consciousness of citizens. You know, they help to educate their members on the fundamental human rights and the implication of policies of the government.
• They also serve as a platform for articulation and integration of different interests.

Obaba: Interesting. So what qualifies to be a pressure group. What are tips for recognizing a pressure group.

Joan: You know, like we said earlier on that the modes of mass representation are Political parties and Pressure Groups. So the first thing we should do is to distinguish between the two.

A political party is established with the major aim of contesting and gaining political power. Pressure Groups are however not concerned with wielding political power but simply influencing the government. As the name implies, they simply apply pressure to the government in the process of policy formulation and implementation for the benefit of it’s members.

And, mind you, there are various types/categories of pressure groups, such as Economic, Professional, Religious, Promotional and Anomic pressure groups.

The workings, I mean operation, of pressure groups may differ depending on the category.

Obaba: If I may ask, Joan, what’s an Anomic pressure group?

Joan: Anomic pressure groups usually originate from a particular event, mostly in a bid to express their dissatisfaction in the country’s political system through protests, riots, assassinations, and so on.

Obaba: So, the #endsars movement could be regarded as an Anomic pressure group, right.

Joan: Oh, yes. And pressure groups have a lot of techniques which they use to achieve their aims and objectives. The most popular and universal of these is lobbying, then you have the use of ultimatum and strikes. In India, you have the Bandh and Gherao which are variations of strike.

Obaba: Thank you Joan, it’s really been an enlightening conversation, I know our listeners also gained a lot from the discussion. See you next time.