What is a key critique of pluralism highlighted in the text?

The critique of pluralism that stands out is that it can lead to wealth disparities in political influence. Pluralism is the idea that multiple groups can coexist and compete for influence within the political system, which ideally allows for diverse interests to be represented. However, one of the key concerns raised is that not all groups have equal resources or access to political power.

In practice, this means that wealthier groups—such as large corporations or well-funded advocacy organizations—are often able to exert significantly more influence over political outcomes compared to less affluent groups. This can skew the political landscape, allowing the interests of a wealthy minority to overshadow those of the general populace, perpetuating inequality. The argument suggests that while pluralism aims for broad representation, it inadvertently reinforces existing power imbalances due to discrepancies in resources and influence among different groups.