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UK Politics > 1. Democracy and Participation 1.3 Pressure Groups > Flashcards

1. Democracy and Participation 1.3 Pressure Groups Flashcards

1
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What is a pressure group?

A

a group seeking to influence policy outside of the government

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2
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 2 points about sectional pressure groups?

A

groups attempting to represent the interest of a particular section of the population only

tend to be exclusive and restricted to certain professions for example

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3
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 4 points about promotional pressure groups?

A

open membership

tend to be less exclusive

accept all who support their goals

sometimes for numerous than sectionals

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4
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 3 causes that promotional pressure groups may want to advance?

A
  1. protection of others
  2. change attitudes
  3. improve political system
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5
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are insider pressure groups? How are they regarded? What do they enjoy as a result?

A

groups who enjoy formal recognition by those in authority

legitimate, credible, useful

enjoy regular, more privileged, access to the government

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6
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 3 examples of insider groups?

A

CBI (Confederation of British Industry)
IoD (Institute of Directors)
BCC (British Chamber of Commerce)

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7
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What is the most obvious example of a insider PG? Why?

A

National Farmers Union

the government must (by law) consult with every relevant policy

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8
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are outsider PGs?

A

have none of the advantages of the insider groups

lack formal recognition by those in authority

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9
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

Why are 4 reasons some PGs be classed as an ‘outsider’ PG by the gov?

A

does not have the skills of knowledge valued by gov

aims/ideology are not seen as ‘mainstream’

may be at odds with gov policy

PG may decide that links with gov may undermine the PG itself

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10
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What method will insider groups use more likely? What are some examples of insider PGs?

A

direct action

ALF (Animal Liberation Front)
Earth First
Occupy
Fathers4justice
Plane Stupid
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11
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 2 ways a status of the PG change?

A

status of group can be different depending on the gov
e.g. Trade Unions are insiders with Labour and not with Cons

it may be an insider at one level of government and not another

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12
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are examples of PGs statuses changing? Who fell out of favour? Who grew in influence?

A

Conservatives in power in 2010:
who fell out of favour: TUC, NUM, teacher unions, Child Poverty Action Group
who grew in influence: IOD, Conservative Family Campaign

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13
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 5 reasons so many PGs are outsiders?

A
  1. do have expertise or info needed by gov
  2. few sanctions and cannot cause major disruptions
  3. do not have credibility
  4. ideologically incompatible
  5. do not want to become insiders (Occupy)
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14
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 3 methods insider PGs might use to influence policy?

A
  1. lobbying MPs/parties/EU/employing a professional lobbyist
  2. research
  3. donating money to parties
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15
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 5 methods that outsider groups might used?

A
  1. influence/mobilise public opinion by providing information
  2. writing/sending petitions
  3. letter writing
  4. leafleting
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16
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

How are 5 methods where might PGs use the media, with examples?

A
  1. paid advertisements (Plane Stupid cinema advert)
  2. attracting news coverage for exposure and publicity (fathers4justice superhero costumes, Coutnryside Alliance favourable press)
  3. research (human rights associations use reports to gain research)
  4. internet website
  5. special media advisers for PR
17
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are 5 more methods popularly used by PGs with examples?

A
  1. legal action: going to court (Countryside Alliance challenged the fox-hunting ban in High Court/Court of Appeal)
  2. publicity stunts (Greenpeace activists board coal ship)
  3. hold public meetings
  4. use celebrities (Vivienne Westwood for CND)
  5. boycott companies (Stop Esso, No Sweat - GAP)
18
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What form of direct action can PGs use with examples?

A
  1. demonstrations/protest marches (2003 Stop the War Coalition against Iraq war)
  2. strike action (RMT and NUT 2011 strikes)
  3. civil disobedience (Plane Stupid chained themselves on a runway)
  4. violence (animal rights extremists removed body of Gladys Hammond because she was involved in guinea pig breeding for research)
    5.
19
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What 4 factors determine pressure groups preferred type of action?

A
  1. whether they are insiders or outsiders
  2. wealth
  3. membership (level of radicalism and unity)
  4. aims (local, regional or international)
20
Q

PRESSURE GROUPS

What are the 4 relevant factors in whether a PG is successful or not?

A
  1. aims (achievable or public support)
  2. resources (human or material)
  3. status (insider/outsider or authority/specialism)
  4. methods (traditional or direct)
21
Q

CORPORATIONS

How do they undermine democracy?

A

wealth

  • unfair advantage
  • can hire lobbyists and make economic contributions
22
Q

CORPORATIONS

What are 2 examples of corporations undermining democracy?

A

Starbucks and Vodafone
avoided millions on tax
due to involvement with head of tax at HM Revenue and Customs

Jaguar and Land Rover stated they were against Brexit
- they warned the gov will face unemployment and debt

23
Q

CORPORATIONS

How do Corporations support democracy?

A

gov creates policies with the benefit of the majority in mind
does not always bend to corporations

24
Q

CORPORATIONS

What are 2 examples of corporations supporting democracy?

A

Oct 2016 - British Soft Drinks Association approached Business Secretary Greg Clark
it expressed its opposition against sugar tax
the gov persisted with its policies

Uber heavily lobbied the gov to say that have made the wrong decision to ban them
they are still banned

25
Q

LOBBYISTS

How do they undermine democracy?

A

provide less transparency

  • people are not consulted with the process
  • can go against the majority
26
Q

LOBBYISTS

What is an example of lobbyists undermining democracy?

A

Philip Morris Intl. (Marlboro cigs):

  • hired Cameron’s election adviser Lynton Crosby
  • he lobbied Lord Marland to keep cigarette branding on their packets
  • July 2013 - the gov rejected the plan to rmeove branding
27
Q

LOBBYISTS

How do they support democracy?

A

not all governments pay major attention to lobbying

  • it not a big business
  • laws in place to stop any misconduct with bribes
28
Q

LOBBYISTS

What evidence is there that lobbyists support democracy?

A

Cameron explicitly stated that NO lobbying firms affected his public policies

although he did mention that business frequently addressed their issues with the Business Department of the Treasury

29
Q

THINK TANKS

What is a think tank?

A

an organisation whose role it is to undertake research into various aspects of public policy

by gov or privately

used to inform policy deliberation

can be neutral or not

30
Q

THINK TANKS

How do think tanks undermine democracy?

A

can be biased
can miss info out

some are set up by gov and can be seen to have an agenda

lack academic rigour to the ambitious young people unproportionately involved

31
Q

THINK TANKS

What are 2 examples of think tanks undermining democracy?

A

Centre of Social Justice:

  • set up by former Con party leader Iain Duncan Smith in 2004
  • to look for solutions to problems of people living in disadvantaged communities
  • he was then appointed as Work adn Pensions Secretary
  • seen as having an agenda or wanting a spring into poltiical career
  • implemented ‘universal credit’

David Miliband

  • worked at Public Policy Research
  • became an MP and eventually senior minister
Adam Smith Institute:
has a political axe to grind it seems
- right wing and wants less intrusive gov
- educates on free markets
- advocates free trade and mark
32
Q

THINK TANKS

How do think tanks support democracy?

A

are some neutral think tanks
e.g. do not support OR undermine
they are essentially redundant

can produce objective truths and fact to help gov to make informed policies/decisions

33
Q

THINK TANKS

What are 3 examples of think tanks supporting democracy?

A

neutral think tanks:
ResPublica (general)
Demos (current issues)
Liberty (human rights/liberties)

UK Politics (5 decks)

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