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4.6 Pluralist and Corporatist Interests in Government

5 min readdecember 31, 2022

Harrison Burnside

Harrison Burnside

I

Isabela Padilha Vilela

kelly-cotton

kelly-cotton

Harrison Burnside

Harrison Burnside

I

Isabela Padilha Vilela

kelly-cotton

kelly-cotton

In this final topic of Unit 4, the focus turns to be able to describe pluralist and corporatist interest group systems, as we have completed our examination of in Topic 4.5. The first key concept within this topic asks for you to define pluralist and corporatist interests, so let's start there.

Pluralist vs. Corporatist Systems

  • promote competition among autonomous groups not linked to the state. This is a situation in which power is split among many groups that compete for the chance to influence the government’s decision making.
  • are systems in which the government controls access to policymaking by relying on state-sanctioned groups or single peak associations (SPAs) to represent labor, business, and agricultural sectors.

💡Remember: SPAs - Single-Peak-Associations are organizations that represent a specific sector or industry. They are typically made of business and organizations that want to promote the development of their own industry.

Let's explore this a bit more through the lens of a democratic nation, such as the United States. 🇺🇸

Pluralism is a key component of democracy. It allows a number of voices to be heard and influence policymaking, a key characteristic of . In the United States, this takes the form of numerous through which American citizens are able to express their needs to the government. For example, in the US you have like the NRA, AARP, , etc. which allow multiple voices to tell the U.S. government what they desire whether it be the protection of 2nd Amendment rights, protection of social security, or protection of the environment 🔫

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-KhJhDvQfShSD.jpeg?alt=media&token=a431b5ad-1b12-4cf1-8d72-4020392bfc34

Meanwhile, corporatism in a democracy is much different 🗳️ Unlike in a pluralist system that are spontaneous, in a corporatist system, interest group representation is institutionalized through recognition by the state. In other words, groups can only form if the state allows it. The second difference is that within democracies encourage voluntary discussion and autonomy of groups from the government, while corporatism is directly linked to the state and, therefore, does not possess that same level of autonomy from the state ☑️

If a democracy moves towards corporatism in regards to its , this is also an indication that it is moving towards or more direct control over policymaking and the people. This is important because another key concept asks you to recognize that pluralism and corporatism are both systems of interest group representation. However, you need to know that the state retains more control over citizen input in a corporatist system than it does in a pluralist system because the existence of can only come through state approval!

The final key concept in this topic asks you to understand that the interest group systems can change over time, as represented by Mexico’s 🇲🇽 moving from a corporatist system toward a pluralist system. So let's explore Mexico’s system in more detail. We have discussed before that Mexico was once much more authoritarian and has been moving towards . As a result, we see Mexico moving from state control of through corporatism, which allows little to no influence of the people, to a pluralist system that allows more autonomy and influence on government by the people of the country.

Major Steps in Movement from Corporatism to Pluralist

These are the major steps of this movement:

  1. Mexico was once dominated by the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), and, in order to maintain their control over the government, the PRI practiced state corporatism with the state mediating among different groups to ensure that no one group successfully challenged their power in the government.
    1. Remember the PRI won all presidential elections between 1929 and 1999, but PRI lost the 2000 Presidential election.
  2. The PRI formally divided into three sections: labor, peasants, and the middle class which each dominated by PRI-controlled groups.
  3. However, as other political parties, like PAN (the National Action Party), began to challenge and criticize the PRI and its power, PRI’s control over began to fade. PAN won the presidency in 2000 and majorities in the legislature.
  4. As a result, Mexico is now in a period of transition. Is it a neo-corporatist state (where interests, not the government controls ), or a pluralist system (independent interests have input, but don’t control)? However, there has been an emergence of important from a wide-range of sectors, such as the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), the Mexican Association of Environmental Lawyers (AMDA) and the Mexican Association of NGOs (AMR). Their influence growth can symbolize a movement towards pluralism and a more consolidated democracy in Mexico

At this point, it is too early to tell because Mexico is very early into its transition to a more democratic system. Remember it is still considered an (a democracy in which democratic structure is in place, but may not function democratically, or limit the civil society and civil liberties and rights of the people).

That concludes our examination of Unit 4 Party and and Citizen Organizations. Let's review what we have learned in this unit:

Review of Unit 4

The first part of the unit is focused on electoral systems. 🗳 Remember that have significant implications depending on the regime of each nation. At this juncture, you should be able to describe and rules in each of the course countries.

You also need to be able to take what you have learned about systems and rules and explain how election rules serve different regarding , election wins, and . In general, authoritarian regimes create election systems and rules to limit , control election wins, and often do not allow for much accountability to its constituencies.

Political parties organize candidates for the election system regardless of what that system looks like. You need to be able to describe characteristics of political party systems and among the course countries. Much like with elections, be ready to compare systems between course countries.

The unit concludes with an examination of linkage institutions that connect the people to the elected officials, , and . We began with an exploration of which are large, unstructured movements that look to bring about sweeping social, political, and/or economic change. We then transitioned into an exploration of that are highly organized and can be structured in a pluralist system (many voices with autonomy from the government) or (government-controlled with little to no autonomy).

It is now time to move onto our final unit of the course, Unit 5 Political and Economic Changes and Development ➡️

Key Terms to Review (22)

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)

: AARP is a nonprofit organization in the United States that advocates for the rights and well-being of individuals aged 50 and older. It provides resources, services, and support to help improve the quality of life for older Americans.

Authoritarianism

: Authoritarianism refers to a form of government where power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader or small group, who exercise strict control over political institutions and limit individual freedoms. It often lacks checks and balances, leading to limited political participation and suppression of dissent.

Ballot Access

: Ballot access refers to the process through which political parties or candidates can appear on an election ballot for voters to choose from.

Business Coordinating Council (CCE)

: The CCE is an influential organization representing Mexican businesses. It works to promote their interests and influence government policies related to economic matters.

Constituency Accountability

: Constituency accountability refers to the responsibility of elected officials to represent and serve the interests of their constituents, who are the people living in a specific geographic area or constituency. It is a crucial aspect of democratic governance.

Corporatist Systems

: Corporatist systems are political systems where key decisions are made through negotiations between the government, labor unions, and business organizations. These systems aim for cooperation and consensus-building among these major societal actors.

Democratization

: Democratization refers to the process of transitioning a government or society from an authoritarian or non-democratic system to one that is democratic, where power is held by the people and there are free and fair elections.

Electoral Systems

: Electoral systems refer to the rules and procedures that determine how elections are conducted, including how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats.

Illiberal Democracy

: Illiberal democracy refers to a form of government where elections take place but there are significant restrictions on individual rights, limited checks on executive power, and weak rule-of-law institutions. It combines elements of both democracy and authoritarianism.

Interest Groups

: Interest groups are organized associations of individuals or organizations that seek to influence public policy by promoting their shared interests and concerns to policymakers.

Linkage Institutions

: Linkage institutions are channels through which citizens' concerns become political issues on the government's agenda, such as political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Mexican Association of Environmental Lawyers (AMDA)

: The Mexican Association of Environmental Lawyers (AMDA) is an organization composed of legal professionals who specialize in environmental law and work to protect the environment through legal means.

Mexican Association of NGOs (AMR)

: The Mexican Association of NGOs (AMR) is an organization that brings together various non-governmental organizations in Mexico, providing them with a platform for collaboration, networking, and advocacy for social causes.

NRA (National Rifle Association)

: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is an influential American interest group that advocates for gun rights and defends the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution which protects individuals' right to bear arms.

PAN (National Action Party)

: The PAN is a conservative political party in Mexico that emerged as a major opposition force to the long-ruling PRI. It advocates for free-market policies and social conservatism.

Party Membership

: Party membership refers to the formal affiliation of individuals with a specific political party, granting them certain rights and responsibilities within that party.

Pluralist Systems

: Pluralist systems refer to political systems where power is dispersed among various interest groups and no single group dominates. These systems allow for multiple groups to compete and influence policy-making.

PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party)

: The PRI is a political party in Mexico that dominated the country's politics for most of the 20th century. It was known for its authoritarian rule and close ties to labor unions.

Regime Objectives

: Regime objectives refer to the goals and priorities pursued by a government or ruling regime.

Sierra Club

: The Sierra Club is an environmental organization in the United States that focuses on promoting conservation efforts, protecting natural resources, and advocating for sustainable practices. It works towards preserving ecosystems, combating climate change, and promoting clean energy solutions.

Single-Peak Associations (SPAs)

: Single-Peak Associations (SPAs) are interest groups that have close ties with a particular political party or ideology. They align themselves closely with one dominant party or movement rather than being independent entities.

Social Movements

: Social movements are collective efforts by a group of individuals who come together to bring about social, political, or cultural change. They often aim to challenge existing power structures and advocate for specific causes or issues.

4.6 Pluralist and Corporatist Interests in Government

5 min readdecember 31, 2022

Harrison Burnside

Harrison Burnside

I

Isabela Padilha Vilela

kelly-cotton

kelly-cotton

Harrison Burnside

Harrison Burnside

I

Isabela Padilha Vilela

kelly-cotton

kelly-cotton

In this final topic of Unit 4, the focus turns to be able to describe pluralist and corporatist interest group systems, as we have completed our examination of in Topic 4.5. The first key concept within this topic asks for you to define pluralist and corporatist interests, so let's start there.

Pluralist vs. Corporatist Systems

  • promote competition among autonomous groups not linked to the state. This is a situation in which power is split among many groups that compete for the chance to influence the government’s decision making.
  • are systems in which the government controls access to policymaking by relying on state-sanctioned groups or single peak associations (SPAs) to represent labor, business, and agricultural sectors.

💡Remember: SPAs - Single-Peak-Associations are organizations that represent a specific sector or industry. They are typically made of business and organizations that want to promote the development of their own industry.

Let's explore this a bit more through the lens of a democratic nation, such as the United States. 🇺🇸

Pluralism is a key component of democracy. It allows a number of voices to be heard and influence policymaking, a key characteristic of . In the United States, this takes the form of numerous through which American citizens are able to express their needs to the government. For example, in the US you have like the NRA, AARP, , etc. which allow multiple voices to tell the U.S. government what they desire whether it be the protection of 2nd Amendment rights, protection of social security, or protection of the environment 🔫

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-KhJhDvQfShSD.jpeg?alt=media&token=a431b5ad-1b12-4cf1-8d72-4020392bfc34

Meanwhile, corporatism in a democracy is much different 🗳️ Unlike in a pluralist system that are spontaneous, in a corporatist system, interest group representation is institutionalized through recognition by the state. In other words, groups can only form if the state allows it. The second difference is that within democracies encourage voluntary discussion and autonomy of groups from the government, while corporatism is directly linked to the state and, therefore, does not possess that same level of autonomy from the state ☑️

If a democracy moves towards corporatism in regards to its , this is also an indication that it is moving towards or more direct control over policymaking and the people. This is important because another key concept asks you to recognize that pluralism and corporatism are both systems of interest group representation. However, you need to know that the state retains more control over citizen input in a corporatist system than it does in a pluralist system because the existence of can only come through state approval!

The final key concept in this topic asks you to understand that the interest group systems can change over time, as represented by Mexico’s 🇲🇽 moving from a corporatist system toward a pluralist system. So let's explore Mexico’s system in more detail. We have discussed before that Mexico was once much more authoritarian and has been moving towards . As a result, we see Mexico moving from state control of through corporatism, which allows little to no influence of the people, to a pluralist system that allows more autonomy and influence on government by the people of the country.

Major Steps in Movement from Corporatism to Pluralist

These are the major steps of this movement:

  1. Mexico was once dominated by the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), and, in order to maintain their control over the government, the PRI practiced state corporatism with the state mediating among different groups to ensure that no one group successfully challenged their power in the government.
    1. Remember the PRI won all presidential elections between 1929 and 1999, but PRI lost the 2000 Presidential election.
  2. The PRI formally divided into three sections: labor, peasants, and the middle class which each dominated by PRI-controlled groups.
  3. However, as other political parties, like PAN (the National Action Party), began to challenge and criticize the PRI and its power, PRI’s control over began to fade. PAN won the presidency in 2000 and majorities in the legislature.
  4. As a result, Mexico is now in a period of transition. Is it a neo-corporatist state (where interests, not the government controls ), or a pluralist system (independent interests have input, but don’t control)? However, there has been an emergence of important from a wide-range of sectors, such as the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), the Mexican Association of Environmental Lawyers (AMDA) and the Mexican Association of NGOs (AMR). Their influence growth can symbolize a movement towards pluralism and a more consolidated democracy in Mexico

At this point, it is too early to tell because Mexico is very early into its transition to a more democratic system. Remember it is still considered an (a democracy in which democratic structure is in place, but may not function democratically, or limit the civil society and civil liberties and rights of the people).

That concludes our examination of Unit 4 Party and and Citizen Organizations. Let's review what we have learned in this unit:

Review of Unit 4

The first part of the unit is focused on electoral systems. 🗳 Remember that have significant implications depending on the regime of each nation. At this juncture, you should be able to describe and rules in each of the course countries.

You also need to be able to take what you have learned about systems and rules and explain how election rules serve different regarding , election wins, and . In general, authoritarian regimes create election systems and rules to limit , control election wins, and often do not allow for much accountability to its constituencies.

Political parties organize candidates for the election system regardless of what that system looks like. You need to be able to describe characteristics of political party systems and among the course countries. Much like with elections, be ready to compare systems between course countries.

The unit concludes with an examination of linkage institutions that connect the people to the elected officials, , and . We began with an exploration of which are large, unstructured movements that look to bring about sweeping social, political, and/or economic change. We then transitioned into an exploration of that are highly organized and can be structured in a pluralist system (many voices with autonomy from the government) or (government-controlled with little to no autonomy).

It is now time to move onto our final unit of the course, Unit 5 Political and Economic Changes and Development ➡️

Key Terms to Review (22)

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)

: AARP is a nonprofit organization in the United States that advocates for the rights and well-being of individuals aged 50 and older. It provides resources, services, and support to help improve the quality of life for older Americans.

Authoritarianism

: Authoritarianism refers to a form of government where power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader or small group, who exercise strict control over political institutions and limit individual freedoms. It often lacks checks and balances, leading to limited political participation and suppression of dissent.

Ballot Access

: Ballot access refers to the process through which political parties or candidates can appear on an election ballot for voters to choose from.

Business Coordinating Council (CCE)

: The CCE is an influential organization representing Mexican businesses. It works to promote their interests and influence government policies related to economic matters.

Constituency Accountability

: Constituency accountability refers to the responsibility of elected officials to represent and serve the interests of their constituents, who are the people living in a specific geographic area or constituency. It is a crucial aspect of democratic governance.

Corporatist Systems

: Corporatist systems are political systems where key decisions are made through negotiations between the government, labor unions, and business organizations. These systems aim for cooperation and consensus-building among these major societal actors.

Democratization

: Democratization refers to the process of transitioning a government or society from an authoritarian or non-democratic system to one that is democratic, where power is held by the people and there are free and fair elections.

Electoral Systems

: Electoral systems refer to the rules and procedures that determine how elections are conducted, including how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats.

Illiberal Democracy

: Illiberal democracy refers to a form of government where elections take place but there are significant restrictions on individual rights, limited checks on executive power, and weak rule-of-law institutions. It combines elements of both democracy and authoritarianism.

Interest Groups

: Interest groups are organized associations of individuals or organizations that seek to influence public policy by promoting their shared interests and concerns to policymakers.

Linkage Institutions

: Linkage institutions are channels through which citizens' concerns become political issues on the government's agenda, such as political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Mexican Association of Environmental Lawyers (AMDA)

: The Mexican Association of Environmental Lawyers (AMDA) is an organization composed of legal professionals who specialize in environmental law and work to protect the environment through legal means.

Mexican Association of NGOs (AMR)

: The Mexican Association of NGOs (AMR) is an organization that brings together various non-governmental organizations in Mexico, providing them with a platform for collaboration, networking, and advocacy for social causes.

NRA (National Rifle Association)

: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is an influential American interest group that advocates for gun rights and defends the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution which protects individuals' right to bear arms.

PAN (National Action Party)

: The PAN is a conservative political party in Mexico that emerged as a major opposition force to the long-ruling PRI. It advocates for free-market policies and social conservatism.

Party Membership

: Party membership refers to the formal affiliation of individuals with a specific political party, granting them certain rights and responsibilities within that party.

Pluralist Systems

: Pluralist systems refer to political systems where power is dispersed among various interest groups and no single group dominates. These systems allow for multiple groups to compete and influence policy-making.

PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party)

: The PRI is a political party in Mexico that dominated the country's politics for most of the 20th century. It was known for its authoritarian rule and close ties to labor unions.

Regime Objectives

: Regime objectives refer to the goals and priorities pursued by a government or ruling regime.

Sierra Club

: The Sierra Club is an environmental organization in the United States that focuses on promoting conservation efforts, protecting natural resources, and advocating for sustainable practices. It works towards preserving ecosystems, combating climate change, and promoting clean energy solutions.

Single-Peak Associations (SPAs)

: Single-Peak Associations (SPAs) are interest groups that have close ties with a particular political party or ideology. They align themselves closely with one dominant party or movement rather than being independent entities.

Social Movements

: Social movements are collective efforts by a group of individuals who come together to bring about social, political, or cultural change. They often aim to challenge existing power structures and advocate for specific causes or issues.


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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.