Methods used by pressure groups (12) Flashcards
introduction
There are a variety of ways the public can pressure the government, including through insider groups, outsider groups, cause groups, and sectional groups. These organisations try to reach out to MPs to get them to take notice of their concerns and change the way the government is run. Lobbying MPs is often the most effective way to influence the government.
pressure groups can lobby MPs to influence government decisions- explain
Pressure groups will often try and lobby MPs to influence government to gain support. This means meeting with members of the government to try and persuade them to support the group. This is done through face-to-face conversations, which can help to negotiate and occasionally result in a solution that everyone is happy with. This allows for mutual understanding and the closure or progress of the situation
pressure groups can lobby MPs to influence government decisions- example
For example, in 2021 Scotland became the first country in the world to have LGBTQ+ inclusive education systems because the TIE (Time for Inclusive Education) (Time for Inclusive Education) pressure groups lobbied enough MSP’s and government ministers eventually gaining enough support to make global history.
pressure groups can lobby MPs to influence government decisions- analysis
This shows that by lobbying MP’s or MSP’s a substantial change can be made and without lobbying the MSP’s this event would never have happened and a different would not have been made to many lives, suggesting that lobbying MP’s is effective as it has allowed for MSPs to evaluate their stance and make key decisions. However, this may not be effective as the government may not want to compromise. Sometimes, government ministers or MPs have entrenched beliefs that they are unwilling to change. To work effectively with these individuals, you must be willing to modify your perspective and be open to persuasion from others. This means that, on occasion, the government will not take the opinions of those it is speaking to into account or will not agree to meet with them at all because it does not want to amend laws, bills, or other things. This can make it difficult for meetings to occur or be brief. For example, the campaign for nuclear disarmament has been lobbying MPs in parliament for over 40 years but the UK government has remained committed to having nuclear weapons no matter what party is in power. If this pressure groups have spent 40 years attempting to change the mind of government ministers through different political parties, then this would suggest that lobbying is only effective depending on the issue and the groups’ purpose. Lobbying MP’s can be effective as it allows the government and pressure groups to have a civilised conversation and come to an agreement of sort however, this may not be effective as the petition government can already have a strong opinion on a matter and decide not to change the mind.
start or promote a petition- explain/example
A is an online document that can be signed by the public, and when it accumulates over 100,000 signatures, the topic is brought up for discussion in parliament. This can be useful for influencing government decision-making, as the government wants to maintain popular support and increase voter turnout. For example, in 2019 the UK Government supported the introduction of Finns Law after the Finns Law group set up a petition that received over 130,000 signatures. This law gave greater protection to police dogs and horses after Finn the police dog was stabbed while on duty. This pressure group was able to successfully amend the law through the government because they were able to get their petitions in front of the government and make their voices heard. The government responded by taking appropriate action based on the groups’ concerns
start or promote a petition- analysis
However, this may not be as effective because some petitions do not interest the government. The government has the power to ignore petitions if they believe the request is too demanding or an “absolute statement.” If the government decides the request is too difficult or too definitive, they may choose to ignore it. Alternatively, the government may not change its position, as this is seen as final. For example, TIE (Time for Inclusive Education) pressure group first tried to use a petition to change part of the Scottish education law at the start of their campaign but was rejected by government. The fact that the TIE pressure group was later successful suggests that their specific strategy, rather than the group itself, was not successful. This means that petitions may have minor impact on government policy, which would reduce their effectiveness. Overall, petitioning the government can be a way to get your voice heard, but it may not be effective if the government has already made up its mind about a subject and is not likely to change its position based on the petition.
lobbying
Lobbying can be used to persuade representatives of the government, by communicating with them and getting them to agree to change their policies. This is more effective than consulting, because it allows pressure groups to communicate directly with the government and can ensure that both the government and the public come to an agreement.
