Influences

Question 0

What are the 3 types of influences on parliament

Answer 0

Law commission, pressure groups and media

Question 1

Role of the law commission

Answer 1

Codify and consolidate the law as well as repealing the old laws

Question 2

What do sectional pressure groups aim to do? Examples of some

Answer 2

British Medical Association (doctors)
CBI (business leaders)
Law Society (lawyers)

Question 3

Sectional groups are..

Answer 3

• Usually well organised and funded therefore more influence
• ‘Insiders’ more access to ministers and influence legislation at an early stage
• CBI have more meetings with government ministers than any other pressure groups

Question 4

Examples of sectional group success

Answer 4

• The CBI campaigns to improve the tax burden on businesses. Keep taxes low, no to minimum wage
• Law society successfully opposed government plans to remove the right to trial by in jury in 2002

Question 5

Opposite to sectional

Answer 5

Cause

Question 6

What do cause pressure groups aim to do? Examples

Answer 6

• Green peace
• RSPCA
• UK Uncut

Question 7

What are cause groups

Answer 7

• Outsiders

- limited influence, less likely for consultation

Question 8

What alternative methods do they use?

Answer 8

Boycotts, campaigns, protests this influences public opinion which the government can’t ignore
Example:justice for Gurkhas successfully campaigned for the rights of Gurkhas to settle in the UK

Question 9

Cause group success

Answer 9

• RSPCA: actively involved in promoting the Animal Welfare Act 2006
• Shelter: the homeless charity was involved in the consultation process that led to Homelessness Act 2002
• Snowdrop campaign:after the Dunblane massacre in 1996. This pressure group’s campaign led to w banning of handguns in the UK

Question 10

Advantages

Answer 10

• Help raise awareness of issues and keep the government in touch with the public mood
• Offer expertise in particular areas and can use their sound knowledge to inform the public and government (shelter provide expertise in homelessness)
• Can offer a platform for minority opinions which might otherwise get overlooked (stonewall(Gay rights)

Question 11

Disadvantages

Answer 11

Can be biased and push their agenda ahead of the wider public interest( Greenpeace oppose fracking, which might be good for the economy)

• Pressure groups are often unelected and unaccountable. Why should they be involved in the aw making process
• Can lead to in democratic tactics and criminal behaviour such as rioting (the attacks on the Huningdon Life Science by animal rights campaigners. Chopped up bits of his grandma and posted it.

Question 12

What can the media do?

Answer 12

• Give an issue prominence
• Scrutinise their work (MPs expenses scandal)
• Negative: manipulate public opinion

Question 13

Examples

Answer 13

• Rushed the government into creating the dangerous dogs act 1991 wording was ambiguous and caused numerous problems-more problems than solutions
• The news of the world ran a campaign that would name convicted paedophiles and give their name and address(Sarah’s law)
• Phone hacking scandal( celebrities and dead soldiers) leverson enquiry changed the way newspapers were regulated
• MPs scandal, led to a change in the law of how MPs were able to claim expenses in the future

Question 14

Advantages

Answer 14

Helps parliament keep in touch with the public mood

• Can help to inform the public about a particular issue( phone hacking scandal)
• Acts as watchdog over corrupt practises in government (MPs expenses scandal)

Question 15

Disadvantage

Answer 15

• Could result in knee-jerks legislation which is poorly drafted(Dangerous Dogs Act 1991)
• Media could run a campaign for cynical, profit based reasons rather than for public good
• Can manipulate rather than reflect public opinion