Linkage Institutions In Society

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The Role of Linkage Institutions in Society Imagine a world without linkage institutions. It is a world where people have no interests, and do not form groups that connect people who have similar views to the government. There are no concerns for the government and no way for mere citizens to receive the change they wish for without the strength that comes in numbers. Linkage institutions allow people a way of presenting their ideas in a way that will influence policies and improve their country’s ever-changing political views. Linkage Institutions The definition of a linkage institution is a structure within society that connects the people to the government. Formal and informal linkage institutions draw people together. Examples of formal linkage institutions are congress, presidency, the house, and senate. Examples of informal linkage institutions are interest groups, political parties, public opinion, elections, and media. Both informal and formal linkage institutions have the same common cause: to connect people to the government, but the efficiency of each is questionable. Factors that can affect the capabilities of each are cleavages in society, Duverger’s Law, and formal representation. Cleavages in Society Cleavages existing in society are divisions such as religion, gender, race, and most importantly socioeconomic status. Political parties form around these divisions in society and in America’s society; money has proven to be the major factor. The major parties in American politics are Democrat and Republican, and the political preference of each member of these parties’ deals greatly with the amount of income they receive. Duverger’s Law Duverger’s Law states that a plurality rule election system tends to favor a two-... ... middle of paper ... ...). This is done so that during the creation of new amendments and laws the legislatures will consider the views of these committees and make a thoughtful choice for the interest of American citizens. Linkage institutions become powerful when there is a large amount of people in the groups because elected officials begins to rely upon the votes to win elections, therefore they adopt the views of the interest as a way to ensure the votes. Conclusion Informal linkage institutions influence formal linkage institutions, the groups effectively inform legislatures about their views in hopes of gaining influence over them. These groups also allow Americans to display their views and maintain their freedom of speech. When interest groups combine for a common purpose, they become stronger and louder, which allows everyday citizens to gain an active role in their government.

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