.Factors Affecting Pressure Groups & EU

Question 1

What 5 factors depend on a pressure groups success?

Answer 1

a) Groups aims
b) Group status
c) Group methods
d) Group specialism and expertise
e) Group resources

Question 2

What is an example of high and low achievability of a pressure groups aim?

Answer 2

high - renovating a children’s play area

low - securing a global ban on nuclear power

Question 3

What is an example of high and low public receptivity of a pressure groups aim?

Answer 3

high- saving an endangered species

low - improving conditions in prisons

Question 4

What are the two types of group status as an example?

Answer 4

insider/outsider

Question 5

What are examples of bad and good pressure group methods for attempting to change policy ?

Answer 5

good - lobbying the executive

bad - illegal direct action

Question 6

Name 3 examples of pressure groups with group specialism and expertise

Answer 6

• RoSPA
• RSPB
• Electoral Reform Society

Question 7

What are the 2 types of a pressure groups resources?

Answer 7

• Human

- Material

Question 8

What 3 benefits are there from the size of a groups human resources?

Answer 8

• size of membership as a large membership can help provide finance
• bigger groups can organise more effective mass campaigns
• benefits of skilled members (PR skills, practical skills, legal expertise)

Question 9

Why is material resources important for a pressure group in particular ?

Answer 9

-membership groups often rely on membership fees

Question 10

Other than money, what are other examples of material resources? (3)

Answer 10

• equipment
• office space
• virtual assets e.g registered domain names on the internet

Question 11

Why are some insider groups unlikely to publicise the extent of their influence?

Answer 11

for fear of alienating the government and losing their status

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of high profile protests and students which appear impressive?

Answer 12

they only succeed rare in changing policy

Question 13

During the Fuel Protests in 2000, who did the government choose to speak to ?

Answer 13

the Road Hauliers’ Association rather than those organisation the protest

Question 14

When do pressure groups turn to the European Union?

Answer 14

• when they are faced with a national government unsympathetic for their cause
• when their section interest or cause is supranational

Question 15

What 2 reasons do environmental pressure groups have for going to the European Union

Answer 15

1) environmental issues by definition do not respect national boundaries
2) the EU is already committed to environmental protection

Question 16

Why is the fact that environmental issues by definition do not respect national boundaries a reason for environmental pressure groups to go to the European Union?

Answer 16

because it therefore makes sense to deal with issues at a European or international level rather than simply at national level

Question 17

Why is the fact that the EU is already committed to environmental protection a reason for environmental pressure groups to go to the European Union?

Answer 17

as the EU are therefore more sympathetic to the aims and objectives of many environmental pressure groups than are national governments

Question 18

Why would it be more advantageous for pressure groups in the broad areas of economic and environmental policy to target their policies at the EU?

Answer 18

as the proliferation of the Europe-wide regulation provides an opportunity for real influence not often afforded to pressure groups at national level

Question 19

On what 2 issues in particular have pressure groups improved though working through the EU

Answer 19

• water quality

- sewage pollution

Question 20

What pressure group have brought about great changes through targeting the EU to put the national government under pressure?

Answer 20

SAS

Surfers Against Sewage

Question 21

What policy regarding England’s beaches have had the effect of raising the public profile of the EU?

Answer 21

-The policy of awarding blue flags for clean beaches

Question 22

what type of group have their interest remain better funded and better equipped than most environmentalists?

Answer 22

Business interests

Question 23

Under what Act has European law taken precedent over our national laws where the two are in conflict?

Answer 23

European Communities Act 1972

Question 24

What is an advantage for pressure groups as a direct result of the European Communities 1972?

Answer 24

Pressure groups can force change on their national governments by going over their heads

Question 25

Since what date have decisions made by the Council of Ministers been increasingly taken under by a system of Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) rather than unanimity?

Answer 25

1986

Question 26

What does it mean for pressure groups since by 1986 decisions made by the Council of Ministers have been increasingly taken under by a system of Qualified Majority Voting rather than unanimity?

Answer 26

Groups have to work to build up a broader European support rather than simply lobbying there own government to block measures using national veto

Question 27

How is QMV (from 1986) a benefit for pressure groups?

Answer 27

a UK based group can campaign for a measure effecting the UK knowing that the UK government alone cannot prevent it from happening using the national veto

Question 28

What are ‘Eurogroups’?

Answer 28

where like-minded pressure groups aggregate their efforts into forming a Eurogroup

Question 29

What is the most prominent advantage of Eurogroups? (2)

Answer 29

they possess sufficient resources

represent a large enough ‘consistency’ for their views to be heard

Question 30

What has a massive appetite for information and recognises Eurogroups as a legitimate source of information

Answer 30

the European Commission

Question 31

What fully legitimises a Eurogroup but is however difficult to attain?

Answer 31

a permanent office in Brussels

Question 32

What Eurogroup , as an example, has a permanent office in Brussels?

Answer 32

the National Farmers Union

Question 33

What Eurogroup is the National Famers Union a member of as well as having a permanent office in Brussels?

Answer 33

COPA-COGECA

Question 34

What is the COPA COGECA?

Answer 34

COPA- is the umbrella organisation representing the main agricultural organisations in the EU
COGECA is the equivalent organisation for agricultural cooperatives

Question 35

What is the membership of the COPA COGECA?

Answer 35

100 member organisations representing around 15 million farmers across the EU