methods evaluation Flashcards
lobbying
Lobbying - contacting decision makers (the government) directly to
influence their decisions.- is a core part of democracy, but it
can also pose risks to democracy.
Pressure groups increasingly use professional lobbyists, with
expertise in persuading politicians and useful contacts. Many
of them are incredibly well-paid. That means pressure groups
with more money have sometimes more influence than those
that are less wealthy.
Not only pressure groups use
lobbyists to influence government.
Businesses do so as well, and
sometimes this is seen as more
problematic for democracy.
This is even more questionable
when companies and pressure
groups hire politicians (or former
politicians) as lobbyists.
It can mean the interests of
businesses become more influential
than those of the general public
lobbying examples
British Soft drinks association lobbies government to dilute sugar tax
Owen Paterson hired by randox as a lobbying, won them a £133M covid testing contract despite lacking eqiupment
David cameron was hired as a lobbyist for Grenshill Capital where he made $10M
what is positive about lobbying?
It helps government stay aware of the views and concerns of
citizens and pressure groups
Professional lobbyists are an effective way for pressure
groups to gain influence, sometimes for good causes
what is a risk of lobbying?
Risk of elitism if wealthier companies and pressure groups
are able to hire more effective lobbyists
Risk of corruption if members of government benefit
personally in return for access
A lack of transparency; lobbying happens behind the scenes
has lobbying been regulated in the UK
There is little regulation of lobbying in the UK. The only law
aiming to restrict lobbying is the 2014 Lobbying Act
the only requirement it imposes on lobbying is:
to make it compulsory for professional lobbyists to be
registered.
Apart from this, the Lobbying Act 2014 also puts a limit on
pressure group spending on elections of £20,000 (they’re still
able to donate unlimited amounts to political parties)
MPs are not allowed to receive gifts in return for influence. However, they are allowed to have second jobs - Boris Johnson made £1M from speeches after leaving downing street. Owen paterson
does direct action enhance or harm democracy - enhances
It offers a way for groups
that are otherwise ignored to
get attention for their issues
It can be a cheap way to get
attention for a problem, and
in that way counters the
disproportionate amount of
influence of wealthy groups
direct action harms democracy
It deliberately harms or
inconveniences people
It can involve breaking the
law
Loud/violent minorities
receive disproportionate
attention, leading to a ‘tyranny
of the minority’
what are think tanks
Organisations consisting of experts brought together to
research economic or social issues, and offer policy
suggestions to government
how are thinktanks different from pressure groups
Ordinary people cannot become a member – experts are
employed by think tanks
Think tanks rarely use pressure group methods. They
publish their research and solutions, which may or may not
be used by government.
