1.3 Pressure groups: case studies and examples Flashcards
Two types of pressure groups
Sectional
Causal
Sectional pressure group defdinition
these represent a SECTION of society
Eg. Muslim Council of Britain, or National Union of Students
these are normally insider pressure groups
Causal pressure group definition
presents a particular ISSUE - Eg. Friends of the Earth, Liberty.
these are normally outsider pressure groups
What factors help a pressure group be successful?
- insider status
- wealth
- celebrity endorsement
- social media
- direct action
insider status
+ 1970 example
if it benefits the government to listen to a pressure group, they may take on board some of their ideas.
Eg. Jack Jones (general secretary for the TGWU trade union) was called ‘the most powerful man in Britain’ in 1970.
Wealth
+ BI example
the confederation of British Industry employs 7 million people to further their cause. although to note: wealth doesn’t guarantee success, a powerful voice may come with wealth though which is valuable.
Celebrity endorsement
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry endorses the Mind Mental Health Campaign for LGBTQ+ rights.
Social Media
increases engagement, Eg. websites can be used to donate to certain causes.
Friends of the Earth and Oxfam have prominent social media platforms
Direct action
civil disobediance for attention to cause.
Eg. 1990 poll tax riots in Trafalgar Square meant John Major to abandon the tax
pluralist democracy
democracy where different groups compete for government’s support/endorsement. Members of the public can support pressure groups to engage in democracy.
Success Acronym
RIPE
Resources, Ideological alignment with the government, Popularity, Expertise
Groups need at least 1 out of 4 to be successful, if they do not have any, they are unlikely to be successful
example for expertise
British Medical Association (BMA) has expertise
example for Resources
Conservative and Labour Friends of Israel have financial rsources, allowing them to be successful
example for unsuccessful campaigns
STOP HS2 had 0/4, and was not listened to
Why was Stop HS2 unsuccessful?
2013, 2020, what happened in the end?
MPs whose constituencies affected were supportive of the campaign.
In 2013, MPs voted 399 to 42 in favour.
In 2020, a petition demanding a repeal of HS2 recieved 100,000 signatures, but support for the rail link outweighed this so it was ignored.
