Disadvantages Of Interest Groups

Political parties can have massive setbacks when attempting to implement public policies regarding the issue of lack of shelter in Toronto. A disadvantage of a political party is their dispersed focus on social welfare and programs (Ross, 2017). While the housing crisis is a major problem in large cities, such as Toronto and Vancouver, the Liberal government must also focus their time, money, and energy on other sectors, such as the Universal Child Care Benefit or low-income support (Ross, 2017). There is not one division of social welfare that does not absolutely need every cent they receive, therefore the government can be divided in their resources and cannot fully concentrate on abolishing homelessness and fix the housing crisis. Another

An advantage of interest groups is that they aim their attention and energy on a smaller list of issues, and are therefore able to advocate more thoroughly and are more likely to produce change. ACORN Canada (2018) has actively helped many lawsuits against landlords for unfair and dangerous buildings, aiding many homeowners and tenants across Canada. Interest groups also have the added benefit of not joining elections and candidacy, conversing with all political parties about their concerns. This is a huge advantage because interest groups do not have to spend money and build campaigns that please the majority of voters, and can focus on building relationships with all political parties, ensuring their interests are heard and attended to (Ross, 2018). According to Ross (2018), “Political parties win and political parties lose… interest groups are forever”, meaning that interest groups show relevancy by staying out of federal elections. Another advantage to interest groups is that they provide ideas of positive, real change. Many interest group members are well-versed in the issues they advocate for, and are able to provide solutions to these issues (Brooks, 2015). ACORN Canada is fluent in the negative impacts of the housing crisis, and often detail solutions that are beneficial to the individuals and families looking for shelters, such as claiming

ACORN Canada does not have the same reach, effect, power, or influence that the Liberal government has, simply because it has a smaller platform, less money, and their goal is to bring attention to political parties about what they are advocating (Ross, 2018). Membership costs a certain amount to uphold the interests of the pressure group, and the lack of resources can prove problematic by not being able to aid as many people as they would like. Another disadvantage is that interest groups are very much concerned with their own views, and fail to observe what the public is concerned with (Ross, 2018). Interest groups have informational websites: listing their values, examples of their advocacy, and the dates of their next protest. However, they do not seek the voices of the minority groups they advocate for, often pursuing their own interests and fight for what they believe is “right”. They lack a widespread perspective of all sides, and simply do as they please. This can be an issue as they could be consciously favouring the interests of upper to middle class donors (Ross, 2018), as the lower class may not have the extra money to spare. Another disadvantage to interest groups are their lack of reach. Political parties are well-known throughout the country, as voters in a democratic