The Role of Pressure Groups:
1. Pressure Groups play a very important role in the Indian political system. They act as a link and source of communication between the masses and the political parties.
2. They sensitise the public towards various socio economic issues thereby educating them politically. They produce very effective leadership and also as a training platform for future political leaders.
3. It also bridges the gap between various traditional values in the society. Establishment of unity and integrity are the key results of the pressure groups. Therefore, it is very clear that pressure groups influence both the government and the administrative policies.
4. Political institutions of a country determine the activities of Pressure Groups and their main targets. In U.K.,U.S.A.France and other democracies, the pressure groups have more opportunities of influencing the governmental decisions.
5. In Britain,since the cabinet and the civil services are more effective,rather than MPs, it is more useful to get access to the former rather than the latter. It is more profitable to cultivate members of the cabinet and civil service than lobby in the House of Commons.
6. In the USA, with the strong congressional committee system, and its powerful chairman it is more advantageous to concentrate on them. In U.S.A. the chamber of commerce and manufacturers organisations are supposed to be very powerful pressure group.
7. In France the administration,rather than the National Assembly, is the target of the interest groups.
8. Several Pressure Groups and lobbies in USA keep a distant relationship with the political parties, yet the powerful trade unions have close ties with the political parties - for example the AFL-CIO-American Federation of Labour Congress of the Industrial organisation with Democratic Party, British Trade Union, with Labour Party, Roman Catholic Church with Christian Democratic Parties of Germany and Italy.
