1.3 pressure groups and other influences Flashcards
Types of groups: sectional
interest groups - seek to promote the interest of an occupation of other group of society
Trade unions negotiate to increase min wage etc
Types of groups: cause groups
(promotional) - focused on achieving a specific goal or drawing attention to a particular issue
Greenpeace promotes awareness of environmental concerns and attempts to influence the government to adopt ‘green policies’
Types of groups: social movements
(more loosly structure then cause groups)
usually way more extreme
e.g the camps for climate action were created from 2006-2010 in protest against the expansion of heathrow.
Insider groups
rely on contacts with Whitehall ministers and civil servants to achieve their aims
e.g the national union of farmers have closed links to DEFRA
Types of insider
High profile
low pofile
high - use lobbying and media
low- discreet contracts out of the public eye
What is Defra
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Outsider group
not consulted by the government, often deemed to radical
more extreme, govt will usually not engage in dialogue - often associated with criminal activity
e.g animal right protesters intimidating workers at an animal testing lab
Why can pressure groups change from insider to outsider?
Often depends on political circumstances at the time. e.g the type of government that is in power
in the 1970s trade unions had backstage access to the government and we’re listened to - powerful
Thatcher - significantly reduced the power of trade unions - deliberately excluded
Methods of pressure groups
Depends of their status of insider or outsider group - e.g the national union of farmers are consulted by the government to assist them on agricultural policy, in exchange the farmers union has access to draft bills and influence.
Pressure groups can lobby through ministers
- email Mps
- petitions
- protests
- media attention
Explain what LIBERTY
can be both considered a outsider and insider group
human rights protection group
- used lawyers to put across views on counterterrorism polices that will affect liberties
PROMOTE HRs
anti policing bill
anti face recognition
Success of LIBERTY
successes
- govt promised to revise vagrancy act
- liberty helped defeat the governments discriminatory right to rent scheme (2019)
- protection of the HRA 1998
- House of lords ruled 2004 anti-terrorism bill a breach of human rights - allowed foreigners to be arrested if suspected of terrorism
Outsider groups methods
less discrete methods
lack contacts in government so they seek media attention often through publicity stunts
direct action - insulate Britain staged blockades on the M25 and the port of dover in september 2021 in protest over the government’s lack of awareness of not insulating homes. Name recognition rose by 77%, however, people hated them
what does influence depend on (resources etc
resources - financial support, strong leadership, employment, volunteers
Does a big pressure group lead to success?
Yes,
RSPCA (insider) hires 1600 employees, thousands of volunteers, colluded with two other pressure groups and successful achieved the 2004 ban on fox hunting and use of dogs
No,
110,000 members for the campaign for nuclear disarmament in the mid-1980s, Thatcher government were able to ignore as she had the larger passive support from the majority of the nation.
What was the snowdrop campaign and how does it show public support success (social movement)
Snowdrop campaign successfully achieved the firearm amendment act, which banned the use of handguns 1997
- after Dunblane massacre 1996
What success has the National Union of Farmers had?
worked with the government to achieve the 2020 agriculture act which involved the withdrawl from the EU’s common agricultural policy.
What are Think Tanks?
Groups of experts brought together to come up with solutions to complex, social, economic or political problems.
Name the Think Tank used by Thatcher and why
Adam Smith institute
used as her party and government was looking at reducing the role of the state and achieving a free market.
Name the two Labour party think tanks
Fabian society
Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) - david milliband
Name the think tank created by former con leader Ian Duncan Smith, its success and the year it was created
created 2004
CENTRE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (CSJ)
6 years later, Smith becomes the secretary of work and pensions in the collationed government
able to utilise think tank to introduce universal credit.
What are lobbyists?
professional advocates that work to influence political decisions on behalf of individuals, firms or groups.
How much is spent on lobbying each year (UK)
£2 billion
What is the revolving door?
When previous ministers take up high paying jobs in the private sector to utilise their government and parliament contacts to lobby for firms.
around 52 ministers now lobbyists
What is the rule about retiring ministers and lobbying?
ministers is banned from lobbying for 2 years after resigning
What law limits the power of lobbyists
2014 - The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration
makes it legally mandated that all lobbying all lobbying activity is registered.
What does parliament bar MPs from accepting from lobbyists?
financial incentives.
By how much has pressure group membership dropped?
1980 - 4.2%
2010 - 0.8%
Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions
P groups are limited (p1)
p1 - p groups are limited
Pressure groups can only really influence government because of the the HRA act 1998, which grants them protesting abilities.
pressure groups do not have the ability to introduce legislation or amend laws
Their calls and demands are not legally binding - e.g the calls for free school meals was ignored by the government
membership has dropped from 4.2% to 0.8%
Outsider groups such as Insulate Britain/ extinction rebellion have lost public support over harsh protesting that has impacted the people more than the government - limited influences government unwilling to engage in dialogue.
govt is able to reduce the powers of outsider groups - e.g the new policing bill
Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions
P2 - p groups have influence
p2 - influential
Government will want to listen to pressure groups to retain public approval and support
more likely to listen to insider pressure groups
The national union of farmers have close links to government, give their expertise in exchange for bill influence - 2020 agricultural act
insider groups have more successful tactics such as collaborating - size of RSPCA - achieved 2004 fox hunting ban
PRESSURE GROUP ‘SHELTER’ - led to 1977 housing act
Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions
p3- lobbyists are not influential
p3 - lobbyists not influential
due to various acts and conduct codes, lobbying is very much limited as well as the public being more aware of it
2014 transparency of lobbyists, non- party campaigning and trade union admin - legally mandated that all lobbying activity must be registered
bans lobbying for ministers for 2 years
Owen Patterson - forced to resign as an MP over lobbying row and disapproval from public
Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions
P4 - lobbying is influential
£2 billion spent by private sector, 4,000 employees
revolving door - mps become lobbyists
utilise connections to influence legislation
Greenshill - Cameron used connections to get Greenshill on the access to covid loans - included Rishi sunak contact
2019 the Guardian exposed his lobbying on behalf of two companies from whom he has received at least £500,000 in payments.
Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions
p5- think tanks are not influential
p5 - not influential
Can only be influential when the party that holds power has similar ideologies - e.g during the conservative stronghold such as Thatcher, the Fabian society and institute of public policy have no influence as they will not be listen to, vice versa
Furthermore, compromises will often be made and not very idea think tanks put forward will be used, this is because some form of bipartisanship may be needed to pass a bill
many MPs use think tanks to achieve high levels of positions - e.g david milliband in the institute of public policy, became advisor to Blair, dissociated himself with the ideologies of the institute
ideologies change, e.g thatcher to cameron, old labour to new labour - weakens think tanks
Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions
p6- think tanks are influential
p6 - think tanks are influential
- Parties often consult think tanks for expertise and advise - e.g thatcher relied heavily upon the Adam Smith institute to help her bring the economy into a free market state
2004 - ian duncan smith set up think tank - centre for social justice - 2010 - secretary for work and pensions introduced universal credit
Name a conservative think tank
Chatham house
