Do Pressure Groups Promote (Pluralist) Democracy? Flashcards
1
Q
+ Multiplicity
A
+ Multiple groups mirror the theory of pluralist democracy
2
Q
+ Competition
A
+ Groups compete freely for public and governmental attention
+ Environmentalists vs Corporations
3
Q
+ Consultation
A
+ The government consults pressure groups on policies
+ NFU and agriculture
4
Q
+ Government Accountability
A
+ Pressure Groups allow for people to hold government to account between elections
+ NO2ID arguably stopped Labour introducing ID Cards
+ 38Degrees stopped the privatisation of the Forestry Commission
5
Q
+ Education
A
+ Provide information to the public
+ Amnesty International’s annual report
6
Q
- Insider/outsider
A
- Government choose to listen to groups they align with anyway
7
Q
- Concentrate power
A
- Gives small privilege Groups disproportionate influence
- Iron Law of Oligarchy
- Independent Schools Association managed to get A level exams moved to June so they could charge more, despite only representing less than 10% of schools
8
Q
- Force government to work for a minority
A
- May work for the few, not the many
- Cameron pledged to raise fuel duty by 3p but had to scrap in November 2011 due to pressure from FairFuel UK
