9 - Pressure Groups Flashcards
What is a pressure groups aim
To influence political decision making
how do pressure groups differ from parties
Pressure groups see to influence those in power while parties want the power
What are insider groups
Those that are consulted by the government
They must be law-abiding with a good public image
What are outsider groups
Not consulted by government
Some work to get insider group access
Some like to remain outsiders so they can do what they want
Main aims of the British medical association BMA
Acts as the doctors trade union
Lobbies the government for improvements to healthcare and public health
is the BMA an insider or outsider group
Insider
What is the membership numbers of the BMA
160,000 doctors and medical students
What are he BMA’s methods
The BMA briefs mps on health policy, meets with ministers
Organised the first full strike by junior doctors in april 2016
What are the BMA’s successes
Plays a leading role in every debate about public health
The government has released many polices including the BMA, these include:
Sugar Tax 2018
Smoking ban in enclosed public places 2007
Compulsory seatbelts 1991
One of the most respected pressure groups
Failures of the BMA
Cancelled plans for a second junior doctors strike in sept 2016 after saying the hospitals weren’t given enough time to prepare
Was unable to stop a real-terms pay cut in 2021, despite immense contributions to the pandemic
Is Extinction Rebellion an insider or outsider group
Outsider group
Main aims of Extinction Rebellion
Make the government declare a climate emergency
Force government to act now, going carbon neutral by 2025
Convince government to create a citizens assembly to make climate decisions
membership of Extinction Rebellion
No formal membership or hierarchy
Set up in 2018 and by 2020 had more than 485 groups in 75 countries
Methods used by Extinction Rebellion
Peaceful direct action and civil disobedience
Mass protests - Blocking roads, glueing themselves to things
Mass arrests, intended to fill police cells - 1828 protesters were arrested in october 2019
Successes of Extinction Rebellion
The environment sits higher on the agenda than ever before - although not being carbon neutral as fast as they want - 2050 for tory’s
The environment matters to voters with 26% of people putting it in their top 3 issues in 2019
Select committees in parliament set up the 100-member citizens assembly in 2020 to write a climate report
Failures of Extinction Rebellion
Criticism of some of it’s actions being unhelpful stunts - particularly a 2019 demonstration that delayed 500k commuters
The pace of the government hasn’t changed
Divisions and splits have hurt the group
limitations of pressure groups
Some groups are only consulted occasionally
Some groups only get consulted with a certain party in charge - trade unions when labour is in charge
What are promotional groups
Those that propose a specific cause such as housing
Normally inclusive groups
What are interest groups
Those that exist to defend the interests of a particular group or person
All trade unions are interest groups as they protect the interests of their members
Limitations of promotional and interest groups
Some like the BMA don’t fall under either category
How do insider groups influence government
Try to directly influence minister sand civil servants through contributions to consultations or face-to-face meetings
How do insider groups influence parliament
Lobby MP’s to influence their votes
Try to convince MP’s to introduce a private member bill for them
Asked to appear In front of a backbench committee
How do insider groups influence parties
Unions have been part of the labour party since its origin
Some pressure groups attend conferences to try and influence members
How do insider groups use the courts
Try to overturn government actions with the court using judicial review
Publicity from this can help the group
The criminal justice and courts act 2015 made it more difficult or charities to use jucicial review
How do outsider groups appeal to the public
Attract public support by using the media
They appeal directly using social media
Demonstrations and marches can bring important issues to the public attention - Eg BLM in 2020
How do outsider group do background campaigns
Long-term educational and propaganda campaigns are designed to produce significant shifts in public opinions
How do outsider groups use short-term campaigns
Aimed at warning the public about a specific problem
The most extreme version is the “fire brigade campaign”, a dramatic campaign to rally support quickly
How are direct actions used by outsider groups
Action taken by a pressure group beyond the usual constitutional methods of campaigning
Includes - marches, demonstrations and strikes
Some are legal - trade union strikes
Some are illegal - climbing buildings and blocking airport runways
How do memberships affect pressure groups influence
Large memberships often have more influence within government
The government can still ignore popular pressure groups - striking unions or the BMA’s doctors strike in 2016
How do aims affect pressure groups influence
Limited and easily achievable aims are more likely to be met
Eg the snowdrop campaign was set up after the Dunblane massacre of 1996 and aimed to ban personal handguns, was done by an act of parliament in 1997
How do celebrity endorsements affect pressure groups influence
Endorsements can bring publicity to an issue
Rashford in 2020 became an ambassador of FareShare to try and perform a policy u-turn and provide free school meals over the holidays
How can legal victories affect pressure groups influence
Judicial review can force the government to change policy
The stonehenge alliance took the government to court over its planned 1.7bn road and tunnel project at stonehenge. In 2021 the high court ruled it unlawful
What do think tanks do
Organisations that exist purely to develop new ideas and policies
Privately funded by donations
Usually independent of political parties but aim to convince them to adopt their ideas
Example of a think tank having a link to a mp
Iain Duncan Smith set up the centre for social justice in 20o4
What do lobbyists do
Political operatives who are paid to influence the government
Usually employed by corporations or wealthy pressure groups
They arrange meetings with influential politicians and try to convince them
Example of a former MP becoming a lobbyist
The 2021 greensill scandal saw former pm Cameron lobbying the government for financial firm greensill Capital
In 2021 he repeatedly texted Sunak the Chancellor tasking for an emergency fund for the company
What do corporations do to influence government
Corporations might be invited by the government to contribute to policy discussions
They lobby the government for favourable conditions of businesses like low taxes
They can threaten to leave the UK
Large multinational company’s like amazon can spread themselves over counties to pay less uk taxes
Example of a corporation lobbying
Corporations lobbied over brexit
What do the media use to influence government
Governments are scrutinised by the media
Governments try to get positive reports on themselves
Government figures often have links with key media figures eg Blair and Murdoch in the run up to 1997 election
Support from newspapers can help governments win elections and increase enthusiasm for their policies
Are pressure groups good for democracy
Pluralism shows pressure groups are good for democracy
Pressure groups allow people to focus on one issue
pressure groups allow people to take part in politics at anytime
many pressure groups have more member than party’s
pressure groups provide government with information and statistics it might not discovered otherwise
Are pressure groups bad for democracy
The elitist interpretation say pressure groups are undemocratic as it gives a voice to the rich
Pressure groups often have limited internal democracy so don’t represent members
Violent measures go against the rule of law
The new right interpretation was that pressure groups are undemocratic -
