Do pressure groups enhance or threaten democracy?

Question 1

Summarise reasons for pressure groups enhancing democracy

Answer 1

• range of beliefs/ideas present
• holds MPs to account
• spreading awareness for key issues
• political participation

Question 2

Summarise reasons for pressure groups threatening democracy

Answer 2

• minority view with a loud voice
• pressured on inaccurate information
• favouritism/corruption
• elitism/wealth e.g. Just Stop Oil mostly made up of professionals/ex-professionals; fox hunters

Question 3

Define pressure group

Answer 3

• a group that tries to influence public policy in the interest of a particular cause
• e.g. Just Stop Oil, BLM, Greenpeace

Question 4

What are the different types of pressure groups?

Answer 4

• sectional/interest
• cause/promotional
• insider
• outsider

Question 5

Describe sectional/interest pressure groups

Answer 5

represents the interests of a particular group in society e.g. the Muslim Council of Britain & the National Union of Students (NUS)

Question 6

Describe cause/promotional pressure groups

Answer 6

• promotes a particular issue
• for example Friends of the Earth & Liberty; these groups campaign on behalf of civil liberties in the UK
• members are united by their shared interest in the specific cause
• members are drawn from across the whole of society

Question 7

Describe insider pressure groups

Answer 7

• have privileged access to government decision making
• the British Medical Association (BMA) represents doctors so possesses specialist information that governments will wish to consult

Question 8

Describe outsider pressure groups

Answer 8

does not possess access to political decision making & may be unprepared to work within existing political structured that they see as hopelessly compromised e.g. Extinction Rebellion who have carried out several disruptive high-profile protests to achieve public recognition