Institutional groups
Topic: Civil Society, Pressure Groups, NGOs and Self-help Groups · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Institutional groups are one of the four types of interest groups in the Almond-Powell typology (1966). They work from inside the state. Examples are the bureaucracy (the permanent officials of government), the military and service associations of government employees. They do not need to protest on the streets. They are close to decision-makers, so they can push their interests from within. This makes them powerful, even though they are often not very visible.
Example
An association of government officers may press the government on pay, promotions or service rules. It does this through official channels inside the administration. Its power has legal limits. In T.K. Rangarajan (2003), the Supreme Court held that government employees have no fundamental right to strike.
Don't confuse with
- Associational groups: trade unions and business chambers are formally organised too, but they work from outside the state.