Influences on parliamentary law making Flashcards
What are the 5 main influences on law making
Political, Media, Public, Pressure groups and Lobbyists
What is a political influence
Prior to a vote they will write a document full of policies and reforms they will carry out (manifesto) that they will then have 5 years to complete
What is media influence
Public can demand new laws that are usually covered and reported on by media campaigns. Further add weight to public opinion or bring attention to the public
What is public opinion
Favour legalising or banning something and usually occurs in response to a controversial event. Parliament will often listen as they want to be re-elected
What are pressure groups
Organisations that seek to influence the direction of law and policy based off of their interests. They can sometimes gain a large following.
What are cause groups
Campaign for a particular issue
An example of a cause group
Amnesty international
What are sectional groups
Campaigns for interests of specific people
An example of a sectional group
CBI
What are insider groups
Consulted by government at an early stage of the law making process and therefore are heaving involved in the law making process
What is a lobbyist
Someone acting on behalf of businesses, big charities or pressure groups. They target individual members of parliament to support their cause through persuasion.
What can be a lobbyists
Anyone can lobby their local MP or member of the house through letters, emails or petitions
