Question

Compare and contrast policy pluralist and elitist.

minimum 300 words.

Answer 1

Pluralist:

• This falls under liberal democracy
• Society is made up of competing intrest groups
• Pluralist is the one where all those who participates have equal status whether it concerns possession, power or right
• Underprivileged are equal with privileged or upper class
• Citizens ultimately controls the direction of policy through their groups and through their choices in competitive elections
• Dispersion of the power in a government where multiple people play and hold different roles
• Power is scattered among ordinary citizens
• It gives the power and provides the average citizen to voice their opinions
• Protective groups defend the interests of particular groups eg, Trade unions, professional unions

Criticisms:

• Asymmetries in group participation
• Free rider problem
• Asymmetries in resources
• Only concentrates on decision making power
• Right to vote conceals huge inequality in the society

Etilist:

• They are mostly privileged or elite class who inherits governing power through material possession, political connections or family background
• It involves an exclusive group of people with wealthy background
• They share a common interest or goals to form a conspiratorial groups who work in order to gain power
• Etilists are descreminative and does not give actual power to citizens
• Etilists will allow citizens only for the passive role in politics

Criticisms:

• Largely passive
• Policy often acts out of demands of the elite not the masses
• They discriminate socioeconomic strata
• Concentrates on power and not evenly distributed
• Unequal and unfair distribution of power