 starter activity
Drawing on your studies at AS and using the extract provided, identify why there
is so much pressure group activity in the USA?  Do they benefit or suffer from
theories of party renewal or decline? Read Bennett p.151-3 and supplement
your notes
Benefits of pressure groups





Increase representation - different groups in
USA
Increase political participation
Public education – e.g. environment & gun
control
Agenda building – set legislation in motion &
bring interests together, e.g. business &
politicians
Programme monitoring - put pressure on all 3
branches of government (exec, judiciary &
legislature)
 Key words:
pluralism elitism political party v. pressure group
Why does the US have
so many pressure
groups?

Learning objectives
TBAT evaluate the strength of theories
of pluralism v elitism
TBAT describe the difference between
institutional & membership PGs
 Your task



Read p.149 on ‘pluralism’ and make a note of
the following.
Evidence that the US is a country founded on
elitism
Evidence that the US is a country founded on
pluralism
Elitism



James Madison – pluralism
a ‘threat to a stable &
secure democracy’
Madison (Founding Father)
preferred a Republican
government hedged by
‘checks and balances’
C.Wright Mills, ‘The Power
Elite’ (1956) – US
governed by a small elite
James Madison, 1751-1836
Pluralism


David Truman, ‘The Governmental Process’
(1951) – politics was all about how different
groups interacted with each other
Robert Dahl, ‘Who Governs?’ – power based on
pluralism, e.g. political nominations, urban
redevelopment & public education; democracy
was all about compromise
Which theory best describes the US today? What
about the UK?
 Extension task

Read the extract on pluralism and note down
evidence to support the view the US is a pluralist
society. Create a spider diagram and record &
explain the 5 key characteristics of a pluralistic
society.
 Your task

Study Bennett p.150-1 and the extract from the
student workbook and try to categories the
different pressure groups accordingly.
 What are
some potential
pitfalls with
Robert
McKeever’s
model?
 Your task


Produce a short ppt (5 sides max, 20 words max
per slide) + 1 A4 handout on one of the
pressure groups on the next slide.
You must try to explain how they fulfil each of
the 5 key functions of PGs:
Representation
 Citizen participation
 Public education
 Agenda building
 Programme monitoring

Find a
comparable PG in
the UK and assess
whether it fulfils the
5 functions as well
as its US
counterpart
 Homework


Complete your presentation for homework.
Complete the reading extension task
No pressure!
 Key words:
pluralism elitism political party v. pressure group
Why does the US have
so many pressure
groups?

Learning objectives
TBAT evaluate the strength of theories
of pluralism v elitism
TBAT describe the difference between
institutional & membership PGs
 Plenary