An alternative, neo-pluralist theory of the state has been developed by
writers such as J.K. Galbraith and Charles Lindblom. They argue that the
modern industrialized state is both more complex and less responsive to
popular pressures than the classical pluralist model suggests. While not
dispensing altogether with the notion of the state as an umpire acting in the
public interest or common good, they insist that this picture needs
qualifying. It is commonly argued by neo-pluralists, for instance, that it
is impossible to portray all organized interests as equally powerful since in
a capitalist economy business enjoys advantages which other groups
clearly cannot rival. In The Affluent Society ([1962] 1985), Galbraith
emphasized the ability of business to shape public tastes and wants
through the power of advertising, and drew attention to the domination
of major corporations over small firms and, in some cases, government
bodies. Lindblom, in Politics and Markets (1977), pointed out that, as the
major investor and largest employer in society, business is bound to
exercise considerable sway over any government, whatever its ideological
leanings or manifesto promises. Although neo-pluralists do not describe
business as an ‘elite group’, capable of dictating to government in all areas,