Chapter 5 -Popular Struggles And Movements
Pressure Groups:- Pressure group is an organized aggregate group, which seeks to influence the government’s decision making without attempting to place their members in formal governmental capacity. A pressure group uses extra constitutional measures to influence and coerce the government. Organization:- A systematic arrangement of people who work collectively to achieve certain objectives for common benefit. Electorate: It refers to the entire body of people who are qualified to vote and participate in the election of representatives for the legislative or a local body. Public Opinion:- Opinion of the people of a country on an issue of national importance. It is mostly an aggregated, organized and considered opinion of a section or sections of people on an issue of public concern. Interest Groups:- Interest group is a group of persons formed to promote a specific goal/interest. This group represents the social, economic and political interests of a particular segment of the society. Interest groups have common aims and try to get them fulfilled through different means and not by capturing power.
Election manifesto:- A written document or statement published by each political party that consists of the policies and programmes of the party. The manifesto is implemented when the party comes to power and issued at the time of election. Movement:- The struggle in order to achieve certain aims like democracy, is known as movement. It aims at many forms of collective action. Universal Adult Franchise:- This term refers to the right to vote given to all the adult citizens of a country to elect their representative periodically. It ensures political equality and emphasis popular sovereignty. Public Interest Groups:- The groups which seek to promote the interest of the general people rather than a particular section are termed as public interest group. They are also called promotional groups because they promote collective rather than selective good.
Q. 1. Define political party.
Ans. A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and to acquire political power. Political parties share common political view by acting as a political unit and try to control the government.
Q. 2. What does SPA stands for? Examine its aims.
Ans. SPA stands for Seven Party Alliance. This was formed by all the major political parties to protest against the dissolution of the popular elected parliament.
Maoists: The communist who believe in the ideology of Mao, the leader of the Chinese Revolution. They seek to overthrow the government through an armed revolution so as to establish the rule of the peasants and workers.
Sectional Interest groups:- The interest groups which seek to promote the interest of a particular section or group of society are known as the sectional Interest group. Trade Unions, Business Associations and Professional bodies are some examples of this type.
Q. 3. What is single-issue movement? How is it contrasted with a long term movement?
Ans. Single issue movement is a movement of specific nature that seeks to achieve a single objective within a limited time frame.
For example: In India “Narmada Bachao Andolan” is a good example of this kind of movement.
Q. 4. Distinguish between political parties and pressure groups.
Ans : Pressure groups
1. Pressure groups have specific interest and work for the collective interests of its membership only.
2. Membership of pressure groups is limited and that too of a particular kind.
3. Pressure groups resort to agitation a politics like marches, demonstrations, strikes, fasts. Etc.
4. Pressure groups are informal, often secretive, conceited and conspiratorial and sometimes even unrecognized entities.
Political parties
1. While political parties have a broad based programme that covers many aspects of national life influence and coerce the government.
2. Membership of the parties is very broad based and it is a wide coalition of diverse members and they have mass memberships.
3. Political parties use only Constitutional means to achieve their aims.
4. Political parties are the formal, open and recognized part of the political system competing for power.
