... the state. Classical pluralists argue that governments and states in western democracies act in the interests of society and represent public opinion. They also believe that the state is a legitimate force as it operates with the acceptance of society. It can therefore be said that pluralists believe that states can be neutral to competing interest groups. One of the most influential modern thinkers to forwarded classical pluralist views is Robert A Dahl. The reasons as to why Dahl believes that sates can be neutral to interest groups will now examined. As a classical pluralist Dahl believes that certain beliefs are shared amongst the majority of democratic societies, such as in America where there is a dedication to the constitution of the country and its political institutions. However, he denies that in democratic societies there is an all-inclusive value consensus. Classical pluralists such as Dahl believe that in industrial societies ...

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