Democracy And Participation Flashcards
What is a pressure group
A membership based associated whose aim is to influence policy making without seeking power
Give an example of when a pressure group decided it wanted to seek power
Trade Union movement helped formed Labour Party in early 20C
UKIP formed in 1993
Differences between pressure groups and political parties (4)
Parties seek power
Parties are accountable to the electorate
Parties develop policies in all areas of govt
Parties have formal membership and organisation
Opposite for pressure groups
7 main examples of pressure group methods
Lobbying Public Campaigning Donations to political parties Media campaigns Civil disobedience Social media / e petitions Legal action
What is lobbying and give an example
Direct contact with important decision makers/ policy makers
May use professional lobbying companies
Persuasion
Large organisations like National Farmers Union (NFU) or Confederation of British Industry (CBI) use lobbying
BMA
What is public campaigning and give an example
Large scale demonstrations of support for an issue or group.
To mobilise public opinion
Eg environmental groups/ doctors/ teachers
Stop the war 2003 biggest peaceful protest ever
Donald Trump protest
Are Donations legal and who uses them
Yes as long as they are declared
Used by large corporations and trade unions and philanthropic people
Give example of media campaigns by pressure groups
Jamie Oliver sugar tax/ school dinners Mental Health (Princes William/ Harry)
Give an example of when civil disobedience was used by a pressure group
Greenpeace - destroying GM crops
Animal liberation front - attacking animal testing labs
Extinction Rebellion 2019
Give example of pressure groups who have used social media or e petitions
Organise local action
Eg BLM
anti airport expansion (3rd runway at Heathrow)
Dignity in Dying - e petition
Examples of pressure groups who have used Legal Action to exert influence
LGBT community
Asylum seekers
Women in employment
Assisted Dying campaigners
What have been the main changes to pressure group methods over time and give examples
Online campaigns Write in campaigns to MP’s E petitions Local action / flash demonstrations Use of human rights act to protect minority interests
How has the action taken taken by pressure groups changed over time
Traditional methods evolving into more direct forms of influence
Which individual or body represents the interests of a locality
Local council
MP
Which individual or body represents the national interest
Both houses of parliament
Which individual or body represents the interests of a particular section of society or issue
Pressure group
What is a think tank
An organisation set up to develop public policy or to lobby decision makers
Usually staffed by academics
Funding from business groups/ universities/ Trade Unions/ political parties
Give an example of a neutral think tank
ResPublica - general policy
Chatham House - international affairs
Centre for Social Justice - welfare
Demos - current political issues
Give an example of a left wing think tank
Fabian Society - social justice/ equality
Institute for Public Policy Research - left wing policy
Give an example of a right wing think tank
Adam smith institute - free market solutions in economics
Centre for Policy Studies - promoting thatcherism
Give an example of a liberal think tank
Liberty - protection of rights and liberties
Reform - welfare, public services
Give an example of an organisation that seeks to mobilise public opinion through the use of mass demonstrations
Friends of the Earth
Trade Unions
Stop the War
Pride march
Give an example of an organisation that operates on behalf of business and seeks to influence ministers and parliamentarians directly
CBI
IOD (institute of directors)
Give an example of an organisation that tends to use illegal methods or civil disobedience to gain public attention
Extinction Rebellion
Greenpeace
Animal liberation front
Give an example of an organisation that has local concerns and typically uses social media to organise protest
Anti Fracking
Plane Stupid campaign - anti 3rd runway at heathrow
Give an example of an organisation that uses insider status to represent the interests of a particular section of society
National Farmers Union
CBI
BMA
Give 3 reasons why pressure groups enhance democracy
They help to disperse power and influence more widely
They educate the public about important political issues
They give people more opportunities to participate in politics without having to sacrifice to much of their time and attention
They can promote and protect the interest and rights of minorities
They help to hold government to account by publicising the effects of policy
Give 3 reasons why pressure groups may threaten democracy
Some groups are elitist and tend to concentrate power in the hands of too few people
Influential groups may distort information in their own interests
Those that are internally undemocratic may not accurately represent the views of their members and supporters
Finance is a key factor - the wealthy wield a disproportionate amount of influence
Which descriptions of democracy describes the UK
Liberal and representative
How does a pressure group demonstrate that the UK is a representative democracy. Name one
Any valid recent campaign (Heathrow - Plane Stupid, dignity in dying)
Mention education, participation or representation
What are the 4 main sources of rights within the uk
Common law
Statutes
The human rights act
European Union law (a lot has been/ will be signed into uk law post brexit but not guaranteed)
Where is the european convention on human rights controlled from
Council of Europe and its European Court of Human Rights
NOT the European Union
These rights will be retained after brexit
Give an example of statute (parliamentary law) relating to rights
Freedom of information act 2000
Equality Act 2010
Same sex marriage Act 2013
What is the freedom of information act 2000
Right to access official information
What is the Human Rights Act and when was it passed and give examples
1998 Brought the European Convention on Human Rights into Uk law Right to family life (article 8) Freedom of religion (article 9) Freedom of expression (article 10) Freedom of assembly (article 11)
Pro and con of common law
Pro - strong common law tradition
Con - can be vague and disputed. Can be set aside by parliamentary statute
Assess rights protection considering Human Rights Act 1998
Pro - UK is subject to european convention on human rights
Con - parliament is sovereign so can ignore ECRH or repeal Human Rights Act
Assess rights protection considering the judiciary
Pro - judiciary has reputation for being independent and upholding rule of law even against govt
Con - increasing pressure of government as a result of international terrorism or to curtail rights in the interests of national security
Right to privacy, right of association and expression all threatened
Give an example of conflict between individual right to freedom of expression and collective rights
The rights of religious groups not to have their beliefs satirised or questioned
What is the conflict between individual right to privacy and collective rights
The right of the community to be protected from terrorism by security services which may listen in on private communications
What is the conflict between individual right to press freedom and collective rights
The right of public figures to keep their private lives private
What is the conflict between individual right to demonstrate and cause disruption and collective rights
The right of the community to their own freedom of movement
What is the conflict between individual right to strike and collective rights
The right of the community to expect good service from public servants who are paid from taxation eg doctors/ nurses/ bin men
Name a piece of legislation guaranteeing a wide range of rights and liberties and give date
Human Rights Act 1998
Name a piece of legislation giving citizens access to official documents and information
Freedom of information act 2000
Name the body which can act as the hightest level of Appel when citizens feel their rights have been ignored or abused
Supreme Court created 2005
Name a historical phenomenon stretching back centuries that guarantees anciently held rights
Common law
Name a piece of legislation outlawing discrimination against women and minorities
Equality Act 2010
What is a sectional pressure group
Organisation that campaigns for their member’s interests (ie their section) eg RMT union
What is a causal pressure group
Promote causes or values
Name 3 ways that political parties and pressure groups differ
Pressure groups aim to influence power but political parties seek power
Pressure groups single issue but pol parties interested in broad range
Pressure groups have diverse memberships but pol parties ideologically similar
Pressure groups do not have to be internally democratic but pol parties do
Pressure groups do not contest elections with a view to winning but parties do
Explain 4 reasons why people might join a pressure group
Material benefits such as entry to an event or vehicle recovery (eg AA or National Trust
Protection eg protection of workers rights offered by TUs
Employment such as a trade association (IOD)
Personal beliefs eg Greenpeace
What is the main reason why a pressure group succeeds
Ability to persuade those in power to accept their demands
Why do some pressure groups succeed
Celebrity endorsement could help a pressure group succeed by attracting media attention which raises the groups profile
Insider status - Gordon Brown (rubbish PM
Wealth - Bill Gates
Large membership - National Trust
Organisational skills
Expertise
Celebrity endorsement
A popular celebrity may bring public support to the cause and increase pressure on politicians
Eg Jamie Oliver school meals & sugar tax
Why do some pressure groups fail
Govt support for a policy
Govt can resist pressure
Countervailing forces (for every cause there is likely to be one campaigning for the opposite
Against popular opinion
Alienating the public (illegal action or strikes)
4 examples of times that pressure groups failed to achieve their aims
BMA failing to prevent govt from changing NHS to 7 day a week system
RMT failing to prevent closure of ticket offices
Stop the War failing to prevent invasion of Iraq
Britain Stronger in Europe failing to keep UK in the EU
What is the difference between a pressure group having limited success and failing
When it has limited success it has achieved some of its goals but not in the way or as far as it might have hoped for
If a pressure group fails it means demands have been rejected definitively
Assess 3 reasons why pressure groups fail
Govt is committed to the action or policy that the pressure group opposes particularly if it is in the manifesto
There is a strong countervailing group
The pressure group lacks resources to alter public opinion
The group alienates public opinion through its actions
Distinguish between civil rights and civil liberties
Civil rights are protected by the government
Civil liberties are protections from the government
Identify 3 key features of human rights
Human rights are inalienable and all citizens have them
Human rights can not be removed
Human rights are protected in law
They are mostly protections from the government
They are individual rather than social
Outline why rights are important in a democracy
Rights are important because they ensure legal protections from the government
They enable people to comment on government actions and develop free political discourse
They help promote fundamental equality
Define positive rights and negative rights
Positive rights are Ones that clearly enshrined in law
Negative right is something that has not been expressly forbidden by law
Name a civil right
Right to life (govt must ensure a safe society)
Right to vote freely
Right to family life (used in asylum cases)
Why have conflicts between the judiciary and govt increased since 1997
Introduction of the human rights act
Increasingly independent judiciary
The rise of major issues where individual rights may conflict with social rights eg prevention of terrorism
Which 5 areas have seen the most conflict over rights
Anti terror legislation Deportation Detention Free speech and protest Anti social behaviour
Give 3 reasons why judges are better at defending rights than parliament
Exercise the rule of law
Have the power of judicial review
Judicial independence
Judicial neutrality
Give 3 reasons why parliament is better at defending rights
Parliament hold sovereignty and can create rights and determine how rights should be defended
Parliament is democratic and representative
All rights in the UK are passed by parliament
Parliament can be proactive in advocating rights protection
Give 3 reasons why judges are worse at defending rights than parliament
Undemocratic Unaccountable Connections to parliament Judges must adhere to the law passed by parliament Can not strike down primary legislation Judges are unrepresentative
Give 3 reasons why parliament is weaker at defending rights than judges
Parliament can suspend the Human rights act to achieve its goals
Parliament is usually dominated by the government of the day and is therefore weak at checking it
The HoL is not democratic
MPs are reluctant to support unpopular elements
What are the factors influencing the success of pressure groups
Insider - eg CBI - often consult with govt and views are often aligned
Social Status - nurses or doctors don’t have money but do have social status and power in society
Celebrity eg Jamie Oliver with school dinners/sugar tax
Wealth - large industries/trade unions
Public support eg NSPCC widespread support so govt tend to be sympathetic
Size eg Age UK represents 12 million pensioners
Strengths of pressure groups
Enable individuals to participate in politics between elections
Reflect the system of pluralist democracy which gives citizens another voice in the decision making process
Counter balance the tyranny of the majority
Bring expert knowledge to govt attention
Keep govt on their toes - limit govt power
Promote debate, engage and educate the electorate
Weaknessess of pressure groups
Can be divisive and selfish (strikes by BMA 2012, Fire Brigade 2013, NHS 2014)
V good at stopping things which others feel are needed
Not accountable to public even if influence is large (eg British Banking Association v close to govt which may be why no bankers were severely punished after 2008 crash)
They have reduced the power of parliament by working closely with ministers and civil servants
Make the country difficult to manage - hyper pluralism - govt perplexed by multitude of pressure groups blocking their actions
Give example of lobbying firm and something they lobbied for
Greensill and Cameron worked together after he left office
Cameron lobbied for greensill to be part of COVID finance facility
CBI (nearly 200K businesses) has backed US/UK trade talks about removing steel tariffs
2012 lobbyists developed “save our shops” campaign to exempt small newsagents from new tobacco laws. Did persuade 80 MPs but ultimately failed and also exposed dangers of lobbying as it was backed by British American Tobacco
Give an example of think tank and one of their ideas which was effective
Adam Smith institute - behind reduction in top rate of tax from 60 to 40% in 1988
ASI - tax free allowance raised from £6K to £12K in 2008 and this was done by coalition
Ed Balls wrote a Fabian Paper on Bank of England Independence
Fabian Society 2000 Tax Commission influential in raising NIC to raise £8bn for NHS
Give an example of when a think tanks idea has not been effective
In 2005 ASI campaigned for flat income tax rate of 22% (they still are!)
Electoral Reform society not changed FPTP system
Institute of Economic Affairs is a freemarket think tank. Critical of govt meansures to restrict harmful activities (smoking bans/sugar tax) but lack credibility as one of their major donors is British American Tobacco
What is article one of human rights act 1998
Protection of Property
What is article 2 of human rights act 1998
Right to life
What is article 3 of human rights act
1998
Prohibition of torture
What is article 4 of human rights act 1998
Prohibition of slavery and forced labour
What is article 6 of human rights act
Right to a fair trial
What is article 7 of human rights act
No punishment without the law
What is article 8 of the human rights act
Right to privacy and family life
What is article 9 of the human rights act
Freedom of thought and religion
What is article 10 of the human rights act
Freedom of expression
What is article 11 of human rights act
Freedom of assembly ad association
What is article 12 of the human rights act
Right to marry
What is article 14 of the human rights act
Prohibition of discrimination
What does equality act 2010 do
Consolidates Race Relations Act (1965) and equal pay act (1970) into one act but with added protections for LGBTQ+ and disabled community
When have rights in Uk been suspended
1970s internment (unlimited detention without trial) common in NI More limited detention without trial allowed post 9/11 for terror suspects using Anti terrorism, crime and security bill Recently rights such as freedom of movement suspended during Covid
Give example of conflict over rights
Ashers v Lee 2018
Belfast bakery run by evangelical Christian’s did not have to make a cake with “support gay marriage” on it
Court ruled that article 10 (right to freedom of expression) included not having to express an opinion that one does not hold
Campbell v Mirror Group 2004
2001 the mirror published pictures of Naomi Campbell leaving NA
Law Lords ruled that Campbell right to privacy outweighed the right to freedom of expression
Give an example of individual v state collective rights
Vintner & others v United Kingdom 2013
Hurst v UK 2005
A & Others v Sec State of Home Department 2004
Othman v UK 2012
What was Vinter & others v UK 2013
Vintner & others v United Kingdom 2013 ECHR ruled that a life sentence must have the chance for release or review otherwise violated Article 3 (right not to be tortured)
As a response Justice secretary proposed new British Bill of rights to replace HRA to ensure that UK courts and parliament should have final say
What was case A & Others v Sec State for the Home Department 2004
A & Others v Sec State of Home Department 2004 Law Lords ruled that the Labour policy of indefinite detention of suspected terrorists without charge broke HRA. Home sec released prisoners a year later after passing various laws placing severe restrictions on the suspects inc tagging
What was the case Hirst v UK 2005
ECHR ruled that a blanket ban on prisoners voting violated article 3 of HRA
This was ignored by parliament
What was Othman v UK
ECHR ruled that radical cleric Abu Qatada could not be deported as evidence had been obtained using torture
Govt and public v angry about this and later that year he was departed after a new treaty was agreed with Jordon (who promised really nicely and not with their fingers crossed not to torture him)
What was S & Marper v UK 2008
ECHR ruled that blanket retention of DNA profiles taken from innocent people violated article 8 of HRA - right to private life
What is Police Crime, sentencing and Courts Bill 2022
This act would heavily affect a persons right to protest (HRA article 11) as it would allow police to set time / noise limits on protests and can be applied to single individual (eg the really annoying Mr Stop Brexit)
Not yet passed as rejected by Lords
Advocacy group Liberty played an important role in stopping bills passage
Who or what is liberty
Advocacy group based in UK which campaigns to challenge injustice and protect civil liberties and promote human rights
Examples of Liberty effective campaigns
2007/8 led opposition to govt plans to extend detention without charge for suspected terrorists from 28 to 42 days. Proposal was rejected by Lords and dropped
2012 helped protect Gary Mackinnon from deportation to US after he was charged in 2002 with hacking US govt systems. Theresa May blocked his extradition (he has Asperger’s and crime was committed in UK0
2014 represented Mps David Davies and Tom Watson in legal challenge to data retention and investigatory powers act which allowed retention of emails by govt. Act found to be unlawful by court of appeal in 2018
2020 successfully defended Ed Bridges in a legal challenge to South Wales police use of facial recognition tech in public spaces
Examples of liberty’s ineffective campaigns
Justice and security bill which allowed secret courts was passed despite best efforts
What is the Howard League
Penal reform charity that works to provide safer communities and few people in prison
Examples of effective campaigns by Howard League
Campaigns for reduction in child arrests. Data from 2016 showed a reduction of 59% since 2010
Books for prisoners campaign set up in 2014 to overturn restrictions on sending books to people in prisons. High court ruled that the ban should be overturned
