GS Paper

Governance

Pressure Group vs Political Party

10 Jul,2023
Team ExamGuru

Tags:

GS-II Pressure Groups & Formal/informal Associations & Their Role in Polity Pressure Groups & Political Parties

Pressure Group vs Political Party

Basis for Comparison	Pressure Group	Political Party
Meaning	Pressure Group, refers to the interest group that attempts to influence the government policy, for a definite objective.	Political Party alludes to an organization of people that focuses on the acquisition and retention of power through collective efforts.
Aims at	Exerting influence	Acquiring power
Entity	It is informal, conceited and unrecognized entity.	It is formal, open and a recognized entity.
Membership	Only persons of similar set of values, beliefs and status can join pressure group.	People with similar political ideology can become members.
Elections	They do not contest elections; they only support political parties.	They contest elections and participate in the campaign.
Accountability	They are not accountable to people.	They are accountable to people.

Conclusion

In a democratic nation like India, Pressure groups provide an informal means to meet and serve needs of different classes and sections of society. However, pursuit of illogical and unnecessary demands should not override affirmative action to ensure a vibrant and inclusive polity.