Interest groups are concerned with a self serving issue. This is why they exist. They have always existed, but in recent years they have begun to write legislation for elected people and with the recent supreme court decision on campaign donations they have been given free rein to give vast amounts of money to candidates to make sure their issue is passed into law. This undermines the democratic process because it goes against the common good of all the people and makes the process only for those wealthy enough to pay for laws and elections. The small donors can not compete with the money put into the process leaving them with no voice or input.
Pressure groups raise matters that governments might ignore.
One place to start - Federalist #10 by James Madison.
Slaves, Native Americans, and women and children were not included in the democratic process and were unable to vote in 1829.
The participation of political parties is crucial for a healthy democratic process as they provide structured platforms for political debate, representation of diverse interests, and mobilization of voters. Political parties help to organize elections, articulate policies, and hold the government accountable. In contrast, the participation of pressure groups (PP) can enhance democracy by representing specific interests and perspectives that may be overlooked by mainstream parties, thus fostering pluralism. However, if pressure groups become too powerful or unaccountable, they can distort the democratic process by prioritizing their own agendas over the common good.
The type of power that special interest groups have is founded on influence and pressure by the citizens. The citizens of any democratic nations serve as the main source power which is what special interest groups rely on.
James Madison warned against special interest groups or factions in Federalist 10. He argued that factions could potentially undermine the stability and effectiveness of a democratic government by promoting self-interest over the common good.
In India, pressure groups work within the democratic framework to advocate for their interests by engaging in various activities such as lobbying lawmakers, organizing protests, and raising public awareness through campaigns. They often collaborate with political parties, participate in public consultations, and utilize media to amplify their voices. By mobilizing citizens and leveraging social media, these groups can influence policy decisions and bring attention to specific issues, thereby fulfilling their demands through democratic means. Overall, their active participation enriches the democratic process by representing diverse perspectives and interests.
The type of government that Britain had from 1850-1913 was democratic. This was due to the pressure from socialist groups which formed trade unions.
It is certainly heading more in the direction of a banana state, rather than away from that. Pressure groups and the manipulations of parliament members rather undermine the principles of Democracy.
Two potential flaws in the voting process include voter suppression and ballot mismanagement. Voter suppression can occur through restrictive laws or practices that disproportionately affect certain groups, leading to disenfranchisement. Ballot mismanagement may involve issues like improper handling of ballots, inadequate security measures, or errors in counting, which can undermine the integrity of the election outcome. These flaws can erode public trust and impact the legitimacy of the democratic process.
It can be argued that pressure groups are undemocratic, and bad for democracy, in many ways. One reason why they can be viewed as being bad for democracy is because they are generally undemocratic in organisation. This means that they have no real authority with which to fight their cause, since they are unelected. The membership of pressure groups is also generally from the middle classes and so is not representative of the population. Another reason for why pressure groups could be bad for democracy is that there is unequal distribution of resources between groups, and unequal influence between different groups. This means that groups with more money will be more likely to be successful, because they are better able to promote their cause. Some powerful insider pressure groups could remove power from democratically elected governments as they attempt to pursue their own personal cause. Pressure groups also sometimes have unrealistic aims and this can lead the electorate to feel that the government are not handling situations correctly. Certain outsider pressure groups may choose to opperate illegally and so can undermine and attack the government, and so attack the political and democratic authority which the government posseses.
No, WW2 was a very democratic process, it took its victims from all age groups without discrimination.