Discussion:
Pluralists were a later group of democratic theorists. Different social groups (like workers and business owners; or Northerners and Southerners; or African Americans and Latinos) have some different interests according to the Pluralists - politics is marked by concession and compromise between different social groups. Social groups give rise to organized interest groups, like the National Rifle Association, or the Urban League.
What role do interest groups play in maintaining democracy, according to the Pluralists? What about unions? How are they an interest group and how are they something more than that? Discuss how one would apply pluralist thinking to the role labor unions play (a) in the workplace and (b) in the society.