Explain the four key concepts that make up the pluralist argument.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
1. Fragmentation of power: This is the pluralists' way of saying that no one group dominates the political game. Power is divided, though not equally, among a large number of groups-corporations, nonprofits, labor unions, religions, ethnic populations, and many others.
2. Bargaining: To achieve their goals, the groups must bargain with each other. Within this bargaining process, the government, though it may have its own interests, acts essentially as a referee. The government will make sure the rules of the game are followed and may intervene to help groups that consistently have less power than their opponents.
3. Compromise: The result of this bargaining process is inevitably a series of compromises. Because no single group dominates, each must take a little less than it wants in order to gain the support of the others. This accommodation is made easier because both the interests and the membership of the groups overlap.
4. Consensus: Underlying this bargaining-compromise process is a consensus-an agreement on basic political questions that reasonably satisfies most groups. This agreement on the rules of the game, and also on most of its results, is the basic cooperative cement that binds society together.