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30 October 2023 10:47 PM

Exercise of political power

The exercise of political power refers to the actions and processes through which individuals, groups, or
institutions exert influence, control, or authority over political decisions and the behavior of others
within a society. Political power is a complex and multifaceted concept, and its exercise can take various
forms. Here are key aspects of the exercise of political power:

1. Decision-Making:
- Political power involves the ability to make decisions that affect the allocation of resources, the
formulation of policies, and the direction of a society. Decision-making can occur at various levels, from
local governments to national and international institutions.

2. Legitimacy:
- The legitimacy of political power is crucial. Legitimate power is typically derived from the consent of
the governed, often through democratic processes such as elections. Governments and leaders need the
trust and acceptance of the people to effectively exercise political power.

3. Authority and Coercion:

- Political power often comes with the authority to enforce laws and regulations. This authority can be
backed by the legitimate use of force or coercion. The state's monopoly on the use of force is a defining
characteristic of political power.

4. Influence and Persuasion:

- The exercise of political power includes the ability to shape public opinion, influence attitudes, and
persuade individuals or groups to support specific policies or political agendas. This can be achieved
through various means, including media, propaganda, and public relations.

5. Institutions and Bureaucracy:

- Political power is exercised through institutions and bureaucratic structures. Governments,
legislatures, and administrative bodies play a significant role in implementing decisions and policies,
contributing to the exercise of political power.

6. Political Parties and Interest Groups:

- Political power is often distributed among various political parties and interest groups. These entities
work to influence decision-making processes, advocate for specific policies, and represent the interests
of their constituents.

7. International Relations:
- Nation-states exercise political power on the international stage through diplomacy, treaties, and
participation in international organizations. The ability to influence global events and collaborate with
other nations is a manifestation of political power.

8. Economic Power:
- Economic resources can translate into political power. Governments that control significant economic
resources, such as natural wealth or a robust economy, may wield considerable influence domestically
and internationally.

9. Social and Cultural Influence:

- Social and cultural factors, including traditions, values, and norms, play a role in the exercise of
political power. Leaders and institutions may draw on cultural narratives to gain support and legitimacy.

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political power. Leaders and institutions may draw on cultural narratives to gain support and legitimacy.

Understanding the exercise of political power is essential for analyzing political systems, governance
structures, and the dynamics of societal organization. It also plays a crucial role in discussions about
democracy, authoritarianism, and the balance of power within a given political context.

Role of the Government in decision making

The role of government in decision-making is a fundamental aspect of governance and public
administration. Governments are responsible for making a wide range of decisions that affect the well-
being of their citizens and the overall functioning of society. Here are key aspects of the government's
role in decision-making:

1.Policy Formulation:
- Governments are primarily responsible for formulating policies that address societal issues,
challenges, and opportunities. These policies can cover areas such as healthcare, education, economic
development, environmental protection, and more.

2. Public Goods and Services:

- Governments provide essential public goods and services that might not be efficiently provided by
the private sector alone. This includes infrastructure, public safety, healthcare, education, and
environmental protection.

3. Resource Allocation:
- Governments make decisions about the allocation of resources, including budgetary allocations for
different programs and services. This involves balancing competing priorities and needs within the
constraints of available resources.

4. Legislation and Regulation:

- Governments enact laws and regulations to establish a legal framework for society. This involves
making decisions about the rules that govern individual and collective behavior, business practices, and
various aspects of daily life.

5. Implementation and Enforcement:

- Once policies and laws are formulated, the government is responsible for implementing and
enforcing them. This involves creating administrative structures, coordinating agencies, and ensuring
that the intended outcomes are achieved.

6. Representation:
- In democratic systems, governments represent the will of the people. Elected officials are expected
to make decisions that reflect the preferences and needs of their constituents. Public input and
feedback play a role in shaping these decisions.

7. Conflict Resolution:
- Governments play a role in mediating and resolving conflicts within society. This can include disputes
between individuals, groups, or even between different levels of government. The legal system often
serves as a means for resolving conflicts.

8. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy:

- Governments engage in decision-making at the international level through diplomacy and foreign
policy. This includes decisions about international relations, treaties, alliances, and participation in
international organizations.

9. Social Justice and Equity:

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 9. Social Justice and Equity:
- Governments are often tasked with addressing issues of social justice and promoting equity. This
involves making decisions aimed at reducing inequalities, combating discrimination, and ensuring that
all citizens have access to opportunities and resources.

10. Emergency Response and Crisis Management:

- Governments play a critical role in making decisions during emergencies and crises. This includes
natural disasters, public health emergencies, and other unforeseen events. Decisions may involve
resource mobilization, coordination of response efforts, and communication with the public.

11. Planning for the Future:

- Governments engage in long-term planning to anticipate and address future challenges. This can
include decisions related to infrastructure development, technological advancements, and changes in
demographics and societal needs.

Understanding the government's role in decision-making is essential for citizens to participate in the
democratic process, hold leaders accountable, and contribute to shaping the policies that impact their
lives. It also highlights the importance of transparency, accountability, and effective governance in
ensuring that decisions align with the public interest.

Interest Groups
Interest groups are a specific type of pressure groups. To recap, pressure groups are groups of people
who usually have something in common and join together to organise activities that promote their
interests or values, influence public opinion, and put pressure on policymakers. Pressure groups include:
• Interest groups. Interest groups' membership is usually restricted and they promote the interest of their
membership or of a specific section of society which can be a profession. An example of an interest
group is the Teachers' Union, only teachers and teacher students can join and the union represents the
interests of teachers only.
• Cause groups. Anyone can become a member of cause groups and they usually raise big issues affecting
society as a whole. Sometimes the issues raised do not affect the members of the cause group, but they
represent the interest of a group in society who isn't as able to speak for themselves. An example of a
cause group is the Refugee Council: anyone can support the refugee council and they'd be fighting for
refugees' rights and wellbeing.
• Social movements. Social movements have similar objectives to cause groups but they are more loosely
structured and usually more politically radical. A good example of a social movement is #MeToo.
Interest groups are groups with restricted membership that work to promote the interests of their
membership
The first recorded interest group gathered for the purpose of freeing John Wilkes in mid-18th century
England. Wilkes had spoken out against the establishment and proposed a new Bill of Rights.
As societies have become bigger and more complex over the last couple of hundreds of years,
individuals who do not feel represented by the governments, have united and organised to be better
heard.
Functions of interest group
The main function of interest groups is to ensure their points of view are heard by policymakers and
translated into the laws of the country. However, there are other, more subtle functions that interest
groups play.
Representation of members
Interest groups have to represent a specific subsection of society. Often membership to interest groups
is restricted and members must meet specific criteria to join. For instance, to join the National Farmer's
Union, members must be "connected to the agricultural sector"1.
Interest groups must use their political influence to represent the views of their members.
The British Medical Association considers representing and negotiating the pay and rights of doctors and
medical students as its primary function.

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 Education
Interest groups can be great at gathering and presenting issues that the government might not have
been aware of, and, by the same token, the members of each group are likely to know more about the
subject they represent than an average politician. This knowledge can be, and sometimes is, used by
governments to draft policies that are more informed and therefore more inclusive.
In the UK the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) launched a consultation in
March 2021 involving the National Farmer's Union to comment on its draft policy statement on
environmental principles
Benefiting members
An interest group can benefit their members directly.
• Membership to the National Rifle Association (NRA) includes travel discounts and specific life insurance
policies.
• Membership to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) includes a regular magazine on
campaigns as well as plenty of information about nuclear disarmament.
Funding political parties
In some democracies, interest groups can provide financial support to the candidate in an election that
most closely represents their views.
Trade unions are one of the Labour Party's major funders.
Improving democracy
The functions mentioned above are all part of the more overarching ideal, which is that interest groups
can make democracy better.
"How?", you may ask.
• Interest groups facilitate political participation by providing a structure for citizens to channel their
voices and grievances through to their government.
• They also hold governments to account by tracking its activities in relation to the issues the interest
groups care about.
• Ensuring pluralism. As different interest groups represent the interest of many different groups in
society, they ensure different voices get heard
Pluralism is a philosophy that recognises the importance of the peaceful coexistence of people and
groups in society from different ethnic, social, political, religious and economic backgrounds
In the real world, of course, not all different groups are as able as each other to carry out their functions.
Let's think back to some of the groups we have discussed. As I am sure you can guess, the differences in
resources, organisational levels, alignment to government's views, and, crucially, type of government
( democratic or authoritarian) mean that not all interest groups' views are taken into account as equals.

India
Interest Groups, also called special interest group, advocacy group, or pressure group, any association of
individuals or organizations, usually formally organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared
concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favor. All interest groups share a desire to affect
government policy to benefit themselves or their causes. Their goal could be a policy that exclusively
benefits group members or one segment of society (e.g., government subsidies for farmers) or a policy
that advances a broader public purpose (e.g., improving air quality). They attempt to achieve their goals
by lobbying that is, by attempting to bring pressure to bear on policy makers to gain policy outcomes in
their favor.

Furthermore, interest groups exist at all levels of government—national, state, provincial, and local—
and increasingly they have occupied an important role in international affairs. The common goals and
sources of interest groups obscure, however, the fact that they vary widely in their form and lobbying
strategies both within and across political systems. This article provides a broad overview that explains
these differences and the role that interest groups play in society.

There Contribution in different fields in India

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• Business Groups – Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Associated Chamber
of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) etc
• Trade Unions – Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Bharatiya
Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)
• Educational Field :- PRATHAM
• Professional Groups – Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bar Council of India (BCI), All India Federation of
University and College Teachers (AIFUCT)
• Agrarian Groups- All India Kisan Sabha, Bharatiya Kisan Union, etc
• Tribal Groups – National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), Tribal National Volunteers (TNU) in
Tripura, League of Assam, etc.
• Ideology based Groups – Narmada Bachao Andolan, Chipko Movement, Women’s Rights Organisation,
India Against Corruption etc.
Interest Groups may achieve their targets through various means- legal or illegal, peaceful or violent,
honest or corrupt etc. That’s why there are some issues with these groups which create problems in the
society like narrow views regarding government programme and policies, lead the public against the
government, riots, act as barriers in development work etc.

USA

• ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty.

• Affordable Housing Industry Information.
• American Association of People with Disabilities.
• American Association of Retired Persons.
• American Consulting Engineers Council.
• American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.
• American Foundation for AIDS Research.

Lobbying
Lobbying is the lawful activity that influences political decisions and public officials in the policies and
decisions they make to benefit the larger groups.
Many people can do lobbying, including:
1. Private individuals
2. Corporations
3. Interest groups
4. Government officials
However, some professional lobbyists do their business by trying to influence legislation and
government actions on behalf of their clients and can work with individuals and non-profit organizations
to achieve their goals.
A lobbyist is a person employed or has a contract, to influence another person or a governmental entity
on behalf of their employers

Example
You probably heard of Facebook (now it's called Meta). In 2020, they spent more than $5.4 million hiring
lobbyist firms to advocate for legislation that will benefit them in the topics of blockchain, content
moderation, and data analysis.1

Types of Lobbying
Lobbying can happen by directly reaching a legislator to influence their decision or by indirect pressure
on legislators. There's also a type of lobbying that occurs only during the election period.

Direct Lobbying
Direct lobbying is the Act of influencing, or trying to influence, decisions by appealing directly to the

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Direct lobbying is the Act of influencing, or trying to influence, decisions by appealing directly to the
officials who enact those decisions. For example, when a lobbying firm directly communicates with a
congress member to make a decision that will benefit the company that hired them.
Direct lobbying can include meetings, phone calls, or direct communication with policymakers about a
specific issue to achieve their goals. They accomplish this by building a professional relationship with the
policymaker and explaining the problem at hand, giving them quality information to build credibility on
the issue and provide assistance to make it possible.
During the first months of 2022, the oil industry spent $12.4 million on lobbying directly to legislators to
mitigate the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, more than 20 senators signed
a letter recommending to President Biden different changes that affect energy policies.

Electoral Lobbying

Electoral lobbying happens when a group or an individual funds or directs resources to a candidate's
electoral campaign that favours their interest. This doesn't mean that if they win and hold public office,
they will make decisions in favour of them. However, they fund their campaign efforts hoping they make
decisions to honour the donor's interests.

In 2020, the NRA spent millions supporting Donald Trump's electoral campaign in hopes he would favour
political decisions that protected their interests.

But electoral lobbying doesn't happen only with presidential campaigns. It can also help congresspeople
in their campaign finance, governors, and mayors at a state level. Electoral lobbying is a way for them to
raise financial support through fundraisers, donations, and PACs.

Electoral lobbying is a solution many electoral candidates seek to fund complex and expensive political
campaigns. In return, they have the elected official's support once and if they reach public office.
Due to this, electoral lobbying is one of the most influential types of lobbying in the United States, with a
significant impact on the legislation and decisions of public officers during their tenure. Due to ethics, no
elected official can publicly say the decisions they make are affected by this. Still, the compromise with
their donors is expected to hold after they are elected.

Grassroots, or indirect lobbying, relies on mass actions by a community impacted by the issue to
influence policy. Instead of going to policymakers directly, they engage with the community, so they can
contact government officials to influence their decision.
Non-profit organizations usually do this or interest groups that can approach government officials
directly, either for lack of means or because the issue will be better heard from the large community.
They use tools such as the internet, social media, online petitions, and public gatherings to bring
awareness about a particular issue and educate the community on what needs to be changed.
Black Lives Matter is a significant global social movement, with a large US presence, challenging and
fighting racism. It's also one of the most notable examples of grassroots lobbying. They have successfully
lobbied for police reform in several states using protests and social media.
Government Lobbying
Lobbying benefits the government in many ways. They facilitate the communication and interests of the
public and public officiants and help them shed light on what the general public needs in ways they
wouldn't know without the noise lobbying can make.
Elected officials must make decisions on behalf of others and work toward their constituents' interests.
A conflict of interest exists if elected officials find themselves in a situation where they benefit from a
specific law or decision. That's why there's a very thin line between lobbying and bribery, which can
negatively impact the government.
To avoid this, governments often regulate what lobbying is and how it can be done to prevent political
corruption and promote transparency.

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 India
• In the US and Europe, lobbying has been made legal and is legitimised. In India, there is no such law that
makes lobbying lawful. India’s lobbying industry is massive and has an effect on public policies. A legal
mechanism and framework for lobbying can be beneficial for India as it will ensure transparency in how
lobbying groups run.

• Thus, if there are no laws for lobbying in India, the question arises of whether that makes it illegal. The
answer is no. The law is silent on this issue. If a particular group tries to influence public policy through a
social campaign for the greater good, it cannot be termed illegal if the group is not breaking a law.

• There are no laws in India that legitimise lobbying in India. But that does not imply that lobbying does
not happen in India. Many organisations and business groups try to influence public policy and
legislation through lobbying.

Business Lobbying in India: How Does Lobbying Influence Government Policies in India?

• The country does not have any legislation sanctioning lobbying’s validity as a lawful profession as it does
in other democracies like the US, the UK, Europe, and others. However, this does not indicate that the
industry does not exist in the world’s largest democracy. Lobbying has long been seen as a way for
businesses, corporations, and other interest groups to communicate with the government.

• Institutions like ASSOCHAM (Associated Chamber of Commerce in India) and FICCI (Federation of India
Chambers of Commerce and Industry) have worked for decades to help members by influencing key
decisions and policy concerns. These groups have a significant impact on India’s policies. Professionals in
government agencies argue for the adoption of a policy that they have proposed and how it benefits a
broader group of people at these meetings which are not held in secret. The government benefits from
this since lobbyists provide insight into public opinion.

• Many foreign and domestic corporations are currently operating as corporate lobbyists because of a lack
of regulation in India about what constitutes lobbying. This is a detrimental side effect of the lack of a
clear definition of what constitutes lobbying. As a result, lobbying is considered unethical in the country
because of the lack of a transparent legal framework.

The Question of Legality of Lobbying in India

There is a perception in India that lobbying is the same as bribing or that it is unethical. However, the
lack of legal regulations in the country cannot be taken as evidence that lobbying, in general, is immoral
or unethical.

Separate laws for lobbying in India are necessary to remove any doubts about its legality. The reasons
for that are as follows:

• The industry will become more open and accountable to the public. The legalisation of lobbying could
lead to the disclosure of all investments and expenditures made by these agencies in lobbying activities,
similar to Western regulations.

• As a result of these disclosures, research and analysis might be done on how legislation evolves from its
inception to becoming a law.

• Lobbying is an essential part of the legislative process since it is impossible for a legislator to have all of
the necessary expertise and information about all aspects of governance and the well-being of citizens.

USA

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USA

Lobbying is often misinterpreted or criticized as bribery, which it is not. Lobbying is a practice performed
by either individuals or organizations whereby public campaigns (which are legally registered with the
government) are undertaken to pressure governments into specific public policy actions. The legality of
lobbying comes from the Constitution and from our participatory democracy.
First Amendment Protection
Often overlooked in the many rights protected by the 1st Amendment is the right to lobby. While never
expressly using the term “lobby,” the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” is
specifically noted. This translates into modern times as a right to lobby, a right addressed in the U.S.
Constitution.

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

By rule of law, the Lobbying Disclosure Act also provides for the legality of political lobbying. Concerning
both the legislative and executive branches of the government, this act defines what constitutes a
lobbyist and her required government registration, what lobbyist actions consist of, and how lobbyists
must comply in order to avoid penalties. The Lobbying Disclosure Act was enacted to ensure that
lobbying is publicly registered. While acknowledging the importance of lobbying, the act allows the
public to evaluate any undue influences that may be affecting decision making in the government.

Participatory Democracy
In addition to the legal framework that protects lobbying, lobbying is further supported as an inherent
part of participatory democracy. For our government to succeed and protect the rights of its citizens the
citizens must participate; lobbying is a way for our citizens to do that. Lobbyists represent the interests
of citizens who do not have the opportunity or access to represent them personally to the government.
Through lobbying, their interests are still heard. Economist Thomas Sowell provides that governments
do not work without lobbying: “Reform through democratic legislation requires either ‘public consensus
or a powerful minority lobby.’”

Power in Numbers
As alluded to above, lobbyists serve an important purpose in aggregating the interests of many
individual constituents. Any individual can have a cause, but with over 17,000 bills introduced to the U.S.
Congress over every two-year session for an example, it is close to impossible for one voice to be heard,
let alone actioned upon.4 Lobbyists can represent many voices, and in addition, their size and singular
focus allow for research and fact-checking needed to bolster arguments.
For perspective on the tremendous size of lobby groups, the total dollars spent in 2022 on lobbying
interests totaled over $4.09 billion dollars and the total number of lobbyists employed reached almost
exceeded 12,600.5 The money spent on lobbying in 2017 is not an anomaly. Total lobbying spending has
exceeded $3 billion since 2008.

The Bottom Line

Lobbying is an integral part of a modern participatory government and is legally protected. In the U.S.,
the right to lobby is protected by both the 1st Amendment and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, and
additionally by the inherent need for participation in our democratic environment.

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