Group Activity Flashcards
define pressure groups
pressure groups are groups that advocate for social or political change by influencing and pressuring the government to make such changes
however, whether such group activity undermines or strengthens democracy in the UK is widely debated
arguments suggesting that group activity undermines democracy
pressure groups wield illegitimate power
allow for tyranny of the minority
foster political inequality
(all of which undermine democracy)
arguments suggesting that group activity does not undermine democracy, but actually strengthens it
establish a pluralist political system
encourage participation
supplement electoral democracy
conclusion
it is clear that group activity does not undermine democracy in the UK, instead improving it and helping to make up for its shortcomings
how do pressure groups create tyranny of the minority?
pressure groups, by their very nature, represent minority views rather than majority views
for pluralists, this is one of their strengths as they can help to prevent tyranny of the majority
however, pressure groups may create the opposite problem in which minority views or special interests prevail at the expense of the interests of the majority and wider public – this is known as tyranny of the minority
when does tyranny of the minority occur?
occurs when pressure groups grow in power and the government may then find it harder to serve the public interest and do what is best for society as a whole
tyranny of the minority could become a real problem for democracy, especially since research has shown that pressure group membership is increasing and groups are increasing in power as a result
when is the problem of tyranny of the minority most extreme?
the problem is most extreme when pressure groups use direct action to achieve their objectives, including the use of strikes, blockades and even intimidation and violence
which some see as essentially holding the country to ransom and forcing the government to adhere to the demands of the minority
how do pressure groups encourage pluralism?
pressure groups encourage pluralism because they promote healthy competition and debate in which multiple political opinions, beliefs, parties and groups can coexist
they also provide minority representation by giving voices to groups that are otherwise unrepresented in the political system and allowing other views to have a platform to be expressed
such pluralism prevents an elitist system where a single person or group holds all the power and influence, instead, pressure groups mean that there is a wider distribution of political power instead of all power being concentrated into one source
how are decisions made in a pluralist system?
in such a system, rather than adhering to either the minority or majority view, the government makes decisions as a result of competing and contrasting arguments from various groups and organisations
example of the government making a decision by listening to pressure groups
the BMA successfully banned smoking in cars carrying children when they made their case to the House of Lords and a Labour peer introduced their request as an amendment to the 2014 Children and Families Bill, which came into force the following year
the wide range of pressure groups is therefore one of the positive democratic features of the UK
how do pressure groups foster political inequality?
pressure groups further political inequality as they empower those who are already powerful
the most powerful and successful pressure groups are the ones with the most wealth and privileged links to government and are arguably the only groups that have genuine opportunities to influence the government
these groups also tend to further their own interests rather than serving the interests of the public and may be excluding sections of society like the homeless or the mentally ill
this undermines democracy as only some views and groups are effectively represented
example of pressure groups furthering political inequality by only allowing wealthy and privileged groups to have genuine influence
the National Union of Farmers successfully brought about the badger cull in 2013 using their insider contacts in Whitehall
but not all groups have this opportunity, particularly outsider groups and groups with limited resources or small memberships who are unlikely to have a lot of influence as they cannot fund effective campaigns and gain valuable media attention
this essentially strengthens the voice of the wealthy and privileged by giving them special influence over the government
how do pressure groups encourage participation?
perhaps the wider opportunities for participation that group activity provides outweigh the political inequality that would be there regardless of pressure group activity, indicating that group activity does not undermine democracy
participation is an important indicator of the health of a democracy
in the UK, declining electoral turnout and party membership indicates a democratic deficit and participation crisis, however, this is combated by the growth in the number and size of pressure groups, which are good for democracy as they encourage participation and engagement in the political system by empowering ordinary citizens to join groups
they particularly appeal to young people who may feel disillusioned with conventional politics and can instead participate by joining groups that represent views they are passionate about – providing alternative ways to engage in politics
examples of pressure groups encouraging participation and allowing for alternative ways to engage in politics
the protests against the Iraq War by various pressure groups such as the Stop the War Coalition had huge turnouts – it is estimated that around 36 million people took part in around 3000 protests against the war
how do pressure groups wield illegitimate power?
the illegitimate power that pressure groups wield undermines democracy
pressure groups, including pressure group leaders, are unelected and therefore not publicly accountable, meaning that the power they hold is not democratically legitimate
