10.Pressure Groups

Question 1

Sectional groups (‘interest’ groups)

Answer 1

-Represent a particular section of the community
-Age UK is a sectional pressure group that sends regular updates to MPs on the big issues that affect older people in their local area and help MPs to make their constituency and the UK a better place to grow older
-In 2020 they successfully campaigned to keep the BBC TV licence free for all those over 75

Question 2

Cause groups (‘promotional’ or ‘issue’ groups)

Answer 2

-Promote a particular cause
-Friends of the Earth were consulted in 2018 by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove and were successful in getting bee harming pesticides banned

Question 3

Outsider groups

Answer 3

-Fathers4Justice

-Create an identity - a number of high-profile stunts with a superhero theme. Climbed up a crane dressed as spiderman in 2003 and scaled Buckingham Palace in 2004 dressed as Batman

-Gaining the public’s attention - In 2004, two activists hurled purple flour bombs at Blair during PMQ’s. In 2012 they staged a naked protest outside of M&S in Oxford Street, London to maintain momentum.

-Re-branding - Recently they have focused on engaging with the public through social media and is trying to distance itself from civil disobedience. They generate support through emotive images, news reports, online petitions, and online forums that further their cause

Question 4

Reasons for Pressure Group success - Insider status

IDEOLOGY

Answer 4

-Having close links to the government, insider pressure groups are able to advise and influence minsters directly as events are happening

-British Medical Association (BMA)

-Represent, support and negotiate on behalf of all UK doctors and medical students

-Show the success of insider status as they were able to advise the government to ban smoking in enclosed public places in 2007 which improved the general public health and now people are more aware of the health risks associated with smoking- insider pressure group

Question 5

Reasons for Pressure Group success - Wealth

RESOURCE

Answer 5

-Financial resources allow pressure groups to pay for things that may help promote their cause, such as lobbyists, adverts and websites

-In 2012, the British Bankers’ Association paid lobbyists to persuade ministers to cut corporation tax and taxes on banks’ overseas subsidiaries.

Question 6

Reasons for Pressure Group success - Large membership

POPULARITY

Answer 6

-Groups that have a large membership possess greater legitimacy than those that do not and mean that governments are more likely to consult them e.g. RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) has around 1.2 million members

Question 7

Reasons for Pressure Group success - Organisation

Answer 7

-Effective management and coordination will allow a group to maximise its resources and target them effectively to help achieve its goals.

-In 2012, the RMT Union organised a series of strikes to secure a bonus for members during the Olympics.

Question 8

Reasons for Pressure Group success - EXPERTISE

Answer 8

-A pressure group that has knowledge and expertise over a particular policy area is more likely to be listened to and respected by the government and the public

-In 2016, the AA provided evidence and statistics to persuade the government to increase the penalties for using a mobile phone while driving,

Question 9

Reasons for Pressure Group success - Celebrity endorsement

POPULARITY

Answer 9

-A popular celebrity will generate press interest and raise the profile of a cause, and may help to draw members to the group

-In 2009, Joanna Lumley and the Gurkha Justice Campaign secured equal rights for British and Commonwealth soldiers.

• In 2018 Jamie Oliver was successful in making fizzy drinks more expensive but in 2022 he called for a rise in the sugar tax to fund free school meals. However, the gov did not take action on this despite his previous success due to the economic siutation

Question 10

Reasons for Pressure Group failure - The goal contradicts a government policy

IDEOLOGY

Answer 10

-If the government is determined to follow a particular policy then it will be very difficult for a pressure group to persuade the government to change its mind

-The National Union of Students (NUS) failed in its campaign to stop tuition fee increases in 2011, which was a well-supported campaign, due to the coalition government’s commitment to its policy of austerity and raising fees

Question 11

Reasons for Pressure Group failure - The government can resist pressure from the group

IDEOLOGY

Answer 11

-If those in power are in a strong enough position, they will feel able to resist a group’s campaign and effectively ignore it

-The Stop the War Coalition organised mass rallies and activities to stop the invasion of Iraq in 2003. However, with a large majority and cross-party support in parliament, the Blair government was able to resist the pressure and ignore the group’s demands.

Question 12

Reasons for Pressure Group failure - Opposition from other pressure groups

Answer 12

-Another reason for a group’s failure is the strength of opposition to that group from other pressure groups

• Forest has failed to stop smoking restrictions being imposed in Britain

Question 13

Reasons for Pressure Group failure - Lack of public support

POPULARITY

Answer 13

-A group is more likely to fail if it is campaigning for a cause that is not popular with the public, as governments will be more inclined to follow popular feelings on an issue

-e.g. Groups such as the Coalition for Marriage failed in their campaign against the legal recognition of gay marriage because most public opinion was in favour of it

Question 14

Reasons for Pressure Group failure - Alienating the public

POPULARITY

Answer 14

-A group may make itself unpopular by committing acts that alienate public opinion. A group that partakes in violent or criminal action will be regarded unfavourably and lose support for its goals

-e.g. The violent outbursts that accompanied the National Union of Students in 2011 campaign to stop tuition fee increases also cost the groups some public sympathy, making it easier of the government to resist its demands

• e.g. Insulate Britain protests in 2021 began a series of protests blockading the M25 and other motorways in the UK which frustrated the public so failed to get support for their cause

Question 15

Pressure Groups methods - Ministers and government departments

Answer 15

-Accessing the makers of the legislation and regulation, normally for insider groups

-e.g. In 2012, the British Bankers’ Association paid lobbyists to persuade ministers to cut corporation tax and taxes on banks’ overseas subsidiaries.

Question 16

Pressure Groups methods - MPs

Answer 16

-Trying to get an MP to represent your cause, tends to be done more by potential insiders and insiders who have links directly with MPs

-e.g. Age UK is a sectional pressure group that sends regular updates to MPs on the big issues that affect older people in their local area and help MPs to make their constituency and the UK a better place to grow older - Over 100 Age Champion MPs (MPs working with Age UK) have agreed to work to help make the UK and their community a great place to grow older

Question 17

Pressure Groups methods - Political Parties

Answer 17

-Often seen in monetary and voting support for exchange for influence

-e.g. The Fabian Society is a think tank which is associated with Labour which Blair wrote a pamphlet for in 1994 as part of the formulation of his Third Way political outlook

Question 18

Pressure Groups methods - The Courts

Answer 18

-Pressure groups can bring cases to the supreme court to try and pressure the court into ruling in their favour, useful due to increasing judicial review in the UK

-E.g. 2020, the British Medical Association (BMA) won a judicial review which overturned regulations that gave the UK Secretary of State for Health & Social Care the power to suspend the payment to NHS staff charged but not convicted with criminal offences

Question 19

Pressure Groups methods - Public campaigns

Answer 19

-Aiming to pressure government through public opinion shifts, Although the broadcast media in the UK are politically neutral, some programming may publicise an issue to the benefit of the cause

-E.g. During the EU referendum, the majority of major corporations such as HSBC and Ford campaigned for the UK to remain, suggesting that jobs, wages, and economic stability would be threatened by leaving, however the public ultimately ignored these warnings

Question 20

Pressure Groups methods - Illegal direct action

Answer 20

-Raising awareness through extreme means, often trying to force the hand of government

-e.g. The Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs (SNGP) campaign achieved its aim of shutting down the Newchurch farm which bred guinea pigs for animal research through public protest and criminal activity which resulted in 3 of the group’s members being handed a 12-year prison sentence

Question 21

Who else influences government policy - Think-tanks

Answer 21

-A think tank is a group that has been formed with the specific purpose of formulating and developing policy ideas
-Think tanks offer alternative policy that is based on academic research rather than partisan ideals
-Like pressure groups, think tanks attempt to persuade the government to adopt their policy goals, but unlike many pressure groups, their methods rely on working with the government of the day of aligning themselves with a particular party, rather than on a populist campaign

-E.g. The Fabian Society is a think tank which is associated with Labour which Blair wrote a pamphlet for in 1994 as part of the formulation of his Third Way political outlook

Question 22

Who else influences government policy - Lobbyists

Answer 22

-Today, there are professional lobbying firms which employ people who have contacts with key political figures
-Corporations and other groups employ lobbying firms and lobbyists to gain this level of access
-Access does not guarantee the desired outcome, but a face-to-face meeting adds a personal element while having a minister’s friend represent your interests can give a group a distinct advantage

-e.g. In 2012, the British Bankers’ Association paid lobbyists to persuade ministers to cut corporation tax and taxes on banks’ overseas subsidiaries.

Question 23

Who else influences government policy - Corporations

Answer 23

-Corporations often work closely with the government in order to develop practical legislation
-Corporations also look to exert pressure on those in charge in order to gain an advantage. While this may be through lobbying themselves or employing lobbyists, corporations are also able to exert influence and pressure through control of a key sector of the economy

-E.g. During the EU referendum, the majority of major corporations such as HSBC and Ford campaigned for the UK to remain, suggesting that jobs, wages, and economic stability would be threatened by leaving, however the public ultimately ignored these warnings

Question 24

Pressure Groups and Democracy - how pressure groups encourage LOW level participation and why can this be seen as good for democracy

Answer 24

-Pressure groups encourage low level participation because they allow people to give up just a small amount of time to express this view

-It gives the groups instant access to see how many people have the same views as them

-However, government may not take them seriously due to a lack of a dedicated commitment to a cause ( ‘slacktivism’)

-Over 6 million UK residents have signed petitions on Change.org while over half a million people signed the 38 Degrees petition to stop the privatisation of British forests in 2011

Question 25

Pressure Groups and Democracy - how pressure groups encourage MEDIUM level participation and why can this be seen as good for democracy

Answer 25

-Medium level participation allows pressure groups to show the government that they represent a large sector of society

-Gives them legitimacy in the eyes of the government and shows why they should be listened to

-A report from 2014 highlighted that over 4.5 million people were members of Britain’s environmental and conservation pressure groups.

Question 26

Pressure Groups and Democracy - how pressure groups encourage HIGH level participation and why can this be seen as good for democracy

Answer 26

-Hight level participation allows pressure groups to show the government that they are dedicated to a cause and have members which are committed enough to carry out action

-Can be seen in BLM’s George Floyd protests in 2020 which involved more than 200,000 protesters and resulted in the renaming of many public places and roads from the names of colonists

Question 27

Pressure groups, Do they strengthen pluralist democracy - Liberty pressure group

Answer 27

-They claim to be at the heart of the movement for fundamental rights and freedoms in the UK.

-They claim to enhance pluralist democracy through their campaigns but also through its record of litigation on behalf of disadvantaged individuals fighting for their rights against powerful governmental or corporate interests.

-e.g. Its long-running ‘Charge or Release’ fought successfully against the Blair and Brown governments attempts to extend the length of time for which police could hold suspects without charging them, arguing that the need for anti-terrorist legislation should not endanger fundamental rights, and Parliament agreed

Question 28

Pressure groups, Do they strengthen pluralist democracy - CBI (Confederation of British Industry)

Answer 28

-They are a long-established pressure group that is a sectional group representing businesses.

-They claim that its mission is to promote the conditions in which businesses of all sizes and sectors in the UK can compete and prosper for the benefit of all.

-An argument is that the CBI represents the elitist model of pressure groups because it allows an already wealthy and powerful sector of society to wield more influence over government policies.

-However, the CBI represents all sizes of business from FTSE 100 to micro-business and family owned to start ups, so they do represent a large amount of the population.

Question 29

Pressure groups, Do they strengthen pluralist democracy - 38 Degrees

Answer 29

-They represent the twenty-first century face of pressure group politics.

-They use social media, the internet and e-mail to mobilise large numbers of people to progressive causes, inviting its members to suggest issues on which it should be campaigning and collecting endorsements.

-It sounds exactly like a movement promoting pluralist democracy but it has been criticised for substituting an easy mouse-click for genuine political commitment with its claim to have over 2.5 million members

Question 30

Factors that affect pressure group success

Answer 30

Resouces
Popularity
Campaign methods
Membership
Ideology