Chapter 5- Pressure Groups Flashcards
PRESSURE GROUPS
Group of like minded individuals who come together on the basis of shared interests or commonly held cause in order to put pressure on policy makers at Westminster and beyond
SINGLE ISSUE GROUP
A pressure group or protest movement that focuses on a single issue as opposed to a range of issues underpinned by broader set of guiding and principles or an ideology.Single-issue groups often disband once their main objective has been met
What group has exclusive membership and what does this mean?
Sectional groups and it means that they must meet certain requirements in order to qualify for group membership
What group is inclusive and what does this mean?
Cause groups are inclusive and they aim to establish a wide membership base which means that they do not place barriers on membership
Attitude Cause Groups
A group that seeks to change people’s attitude on a particular issue
Political cause groups
A group that campaigns in pursuit of a cause that is essentially political in nature
Sectional cause groups
A group that represents a specific society that is distinct from its own membership
What writer subdivides groups according to their status and relationship with the government?
Wyn Grant
Core Insiders
Groups that work regularly with the government and are consulted regularly across a broad range of policy areas
Specialist insiders
Groups with which the government consults across only a narrow range of policies
Peripheral Insiders
Groups whose areas of expertise or interest are so narrow that the government would rarely consult them
Potential Insiders
Groups that may ultimately achieve insider status but are currently lacking in terms of support and/or experience. Government may be reluctant to grant such groups insider status because they regard them as lacking legitimacy
Outsiders by necessity
Groups that are forced to operate as outsider groups as a result of there being no realistic prospect of regular consultation with the government and this could be due to their core aims or chosen methods
What did Wyn Grant argue about insider-outsider group typology?
More appropriate to divide insider groups into ‘high profile’ insider groups and ‘low profile insider groups’ as well as ‘captive’ or ‘prisoner’ groups
High Profile insider groups
Court the media as well as working with the government behind the scenes
Low profile insider groups
Focus largely on establishing relationships behind the scenes
‘Captive’ or ‘prisoner’ groups
Groups that are dependent on the government either because they benefit from state funding or because the government played a part in their creation
What are the main roles of pressure groups?
- Educate
- Allow participation
- Representation
Explain how pressure groups educate citizens?
Act as a source of specialist knowledge which helps the government weigh up the merits and demerits of proposed policies.Helps them avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary conflict as well as making it more likely that government will be held to account
Explain how pressure groups enhance representation?
Aggregate and articulate common interests and concerns whereby contemporary political parties are being criticised for being a catch all election winning machines
What does Society for the Protection of Unborn Children do and how does it ensure representation?
Represent the interests of those who oppose abortion at a time when the three main UK parties seemed sympathetic to the availability of such practices
Explain how pressure groups encourage participation?
Avenue of participation between the give year gap for general elections. It ensures that the channels of communication remain open between elections also moderates extremist views.
How does the scope and extent of a group aims and objectives affect the method they use?
If the aims are local and limited they may not ever lobby Westminster. Broader-based environmental groups will, in contrast, need to work at local, national and supranational levels in order to achieve their core aims
