According to Woolf (4), “democracy is a system in which people decide matters together, or collectively.” The word democracy originated from the Greeks who had the idea of changing the decision making process into a system of government. In an ideal democracy, every person has a right of seeking clarification on policies that govern his or her country. However, most governments have the tendency of not addressing the demands of their citizens. Due to this, individuals in a democracy form special interest groups that play significant roles in questing for the demands of citizens from the government.
Special interest groups are made up of people who share similar ideas and concerns, and influence government policies that affect their desires. In most occasions, special interest groups differ in shape and sizes. “Their main goal is to persuade public policymakers to act according to their perspectives,” (Grant 65). Their decisions and opinions are represented to the government by the lobbyists and PACs. As mentioned above, these groups are formed by the coming together of people with common interests and desire to pursue their demands.
Special interest groups play significant roles in enhancing democracy. Most countries in the world do undergo elections after some specified period to elect in new leaders. In such countries, political representatives have the potential of creating a dictatorship election. However, the public do manage to react to government policies via aid of interest groups. For instance, in 1995, Greenpeace wanted to sink Brent Spar oil platform after being permitted by the British government to do so. However, the extensive campaign that was carried across Europe led to it changing its plan. Greenpeace decided to dismantle the platform and recycle its parts. From that incident, it is evident that the public, through interest groups manage to express their views directly without voting.
Special interest groups also play a significant role towards the running of democracy. They facilitate policy decision making by providing expertise. Most politicians do not specialize on policy decision making. Such politicians do require pieces of advice from policy specialists so as to make amicable decisions. For instance, British Medical Association (BMA) aided significantly in coming up with amicable decisions concerning Health and Social Care Bill that was discussed extensively in British parliament. NFU was also one of the interest groups in Britain that was contacted occasionally by the British government over foot and mouth outbreak (Grant 77).
Special interest groups also protect the rights of citizens by monitoring government performance. For instance, League of Women Voters of the United States (LWV) ensures that the government of America provides well defined channels for citizen participation in decision making and review.
In conclusion, democracy is a platform which people make decision in unison. It often plays a significant role in many states; it regulates the power of the rulers. The word democracy originated from the Greeks who used it in referring to decision making process. In most occasions, democracy is prone to abuse by the politicians. However, special interests groups aid in monitoring the functioning of the government. Special interest groups consist of individuals with common interests. They work by influencing the government into meeting their concerns. Special interest groups play take part in not advocating democracy, but also in advocating observance of human rights. Despite their positive contributions to many states, interest groups also impact the running of states negatively. In most occasions, they fight for their own rights more than the public rights.
Works Cited
Grant, Wyn. Pressure Groups and British Politics. Basingstoke: MacMillan. 2000. Print.
Woolf, Alex. Systems of Government Series. New York: Evans Brothers, 2009. Print.