Demo & Particip - Pressure groups

Question 1

Sectional Groups

Answer 1

Membership restricted to particular parts of society. - British Medical Association for doctors

Question 2

Cause groups

Answer 2

Open membership, seeking mass support for causes with wide benefit

Question 3

Outsider groups

Insider groups

Answer 3

Excluded from political consultation, focus on mobilising public and applying pressure

Aims often compatible with government, work closer with them

Question 4

Insider/Sectional groups more powerful:

Answer 4

• Contact and ability to work with government increases impact on legislation - UK Finance, group represents finance industry, close ties to gov, lobbying
• Insiders can have large membership too - CBI 2018 gender pay report
• Government more likely to work with insiders rather than radical action which is ignored (Insulate britain) or anti policy (Thatcher on Union protests)

Question 5

Outsider/Larger groups more powerful

Answer 5

• Use majority support, advertising and canvassing and fundraising (RSPCA full page ads)
• Alt outlet for involvement as faith is lost in main parties (RSPB 2x more than 3 main x2)
• Cause groups educate and represent well - Frack off, 2017 sco par banned fracking
• Cause groups can send messages to support minorities - Fathers4Justice 2005 stunts for publicity superman climbing, 2013 invited to commons, 2019, largest equal rights parenting group

Question 6

Helps democracy

Answer 6

• Pressure groups represent those who cannot influence legislation -, gurkha justice campaign
• Encourage participation between GEs, countering fall in turnout. - RSPB 2x more than 3 parties
• Educates public on overlooked issues by parties (Occupy) due to increased centrism
• Helps with policy formulation through expert pressure groups informing gov - CBI Gender pay gap
• Helps with scrutiny and legislation. Select committees may invite groups to understand the effects of policy on public,

Question 7

Damages democracy

Answer 7

• Nimbyism makes representation self interested and less effective - HS2
• Slacktivism makes participation less involved, secondary groups like AA have members as customers rather than supporters
• Misleading education and clicktivism makes less informed ‘supporters’
• Tyranny of minority and elitist theory as with hacked off
• Intense scrutiny damages government efficiency - 2011 health and social care pause

Question 8

Case study - Outsider cause group Fathers 4 Justice

Answer 8

Aims to promote the rights of divorced fathers to see children
Outsider group perform crazy stunts like breaking into courts and buckingham palace in costumes
Law has been broken in some occasions over harassment of MPs
Has achieved very little in its formal aims, and refused to talk with commons bills
2005 stunts for publicity superman climbing, 2013 invited to commons, 2019, largest equal rights parenting group .

Question 9

Other collective organisations

Answer 9

Corporations

• Lobby governments to legislate or not in their benefit. - After ubers licence lost, it lobbied hard to convince otherwise
• Drink companies about the sugar content limit
• Bernie Eccleston donated 1M to Labour to prevent ban on cig advertising.;

Lobbyists
Professional lobbyists. Companies hire ex politicians with connections in the cabinet, essentially selling insider status. - Cameron lobbying sunak for greensil loans
Can be used to indirectly loophole laws banning tobacco lobbying MPs
Undermines the pluralist system via revolving door politics

Think tanks
Privately funded non profit orgs that conduct research to change policies -
Adam smith institute promotes neoliberalism and free market
Institute of Economic Affairs IEA, funded by British American Tobacco, researches in favour of no restrictions on harmful (Cigs, sugar)
National Institute of Economic and Social Research scrutinised 2020 gov budget, citing unrealistic growth targets