S/P/37. The Bad Reputation of Interest Groups

In a democratic set up, the representatives of the people, who are elected to form the government, need to be in close touch with the grassroots, receiving proper feedback to enable them to effectively serve the cause for which they have been elected. Helping them in this cause are the various interest groups of people who act as conduits for transmission of the peoples ideas, needs and views. These special interest groups, besides providing information expertise to the candidates and office holders, help in spreading information to the common man and encourage them to use their right to vote. Although these interest groups had started off doing yeoman service to the candidates and the common men, they have, of late, acquired negative characteristics that have tarnished their image. Several factors are responsible for giving a bad name to these interest groups. These factors have been discussed in this article at length. Primarily, the main reason is associated with the disbursement of funds that are raised by the political parties, the special interest groups and the political action committees (PAC). Moreover, although the special interest groups are supposed to show the importance of maintaining actual and perceived impartiality and judicial independence, in practice they do not adhere to these principles as the stakes might be too high to lose their own interests.