Pluralism for Every American
Pluralism is a political term that pertains to “a situation in which people of different social classes, religions, races, etc. are together in a society but continue to have their different traditions and interests” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary). James Madison, father of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, believed that there will always be interest groups because plurality of interests among Americans will continue to exist. Allowing the diversity of desires and interests to flourish is what democracy is all about.
Pluralism is preferred by liberals, political forces who believe in diversity, those who wish to establish a balance between society’s competing forces and for interest groups to be able to express themselves and engage others in dialogue. On the other hand, the idea of entertaining diversity is frowned at by conservative groups, political forces that long for the old, traditional, white mainstream of the 1950s. This, however, is difficult to achieve since America will always be home to different economic, political and religious philosophies.
Pluralism benefits not only the liberals or pluralists, but also any and every American who wishes to remain true to themselves and exercise the right to self-expression. Democracy is about the plurality of ideals, passions and groups. Only in a truly democratic society can special interest groups exist and be given the chance to voice their advocacies and lobby for what they believe is right.
With pluralism, however, comes the struggle among factions to gain attention and the upper hand. The noisiest and most prominent voices are always those that possess the machinery and resources to advertise, set up campaigns and put up protests. Many, therefore, believe that the rich and famous will always have the upper hand and enjoy a huge advantage in raising and making public their agenda.
References
Pease, H. (2012). Democracies Breed and Feed Special Interest Groups. Liberty Under Fire. Retrieved from http://libertyunderfire.org/tag/james-madison-difined-special-interest-groups/
Luekens, C. (2016). 4 Ways Pluralism Serves the Rich and Powerful. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-luekens/4-ways-pluralism-serves-t_b_11914894.html
Scott, D. (2011). The Problem of Pluralism. Posts from the Frontier. Retrieved from …
