Paper 1: Democracy and participation Flashcards
what is a pressure group?
Pressure groups are vital part of Democratic and pluralist society, ensuring an active informed citizen, offering the public choices and options that may not be recognised by the political parties, and raising awareness of issues to share. All sections of society heard and considered in the political process.
Some of the main functions of pressure groups are:
- to represent and promote the interest of certain sections of the community who feel they are not fully represented by parties and parliament.
-protect the interests of minority groups.
-To inform educate the public about current political issues.
-to promote certain causes that have not been adequately taken up by political parties.
-to call government to account over its performance in particular areas of policy.
-on occasions to pass key information to Government to inform influence policy.
-to give opportunity to citizens to participate in politics, other than third-party membership or voting.
what is the differences between sectional and causal pressure groups?
-causal pressure group seek to promote a particular cause, to convert the ideas behind the cause into government action or parliamentary legislation. The cause may be broad, as with groups campaigning on environmental or human rights issues, or narrow, as group promoting issues such as the protection of spaces or opposition to hospital closures. for example, the pressure group Liberty, challenges unjust laws, protects civil liberties, and promotes human rights.
-whereas sectional groups represent a particular section of the community in the UK. Sectional groups are self interested in that they hope to pursue the interest specifically of their own membership or those they represent. Sectional groups may be what they believe by serving the interest of their own members and supporters, the wider community will also benefit.
-For example, unions such as the British medical Association (BMA) and the national education union (NEU), argue that the interests of their members are also the interests of all of us. Better treated and better paid teachers and medical staff mean better education and health for all.
what is the differences between sectional between insider and outsider pressure groups?
insider groups have especially close links with decision makers at all levels. The main ways in which insider groups operate include the following:
-They can become involved in the early stages of policy- and law-making. this means that they are often consulted by decision-makers and sometimes can offer expert advice and information.
-Some groups, employ professional lobbyists whose job it is to gain access to decision-makers and make high-quality presentations of their case.
-government of different levels uses special committees to make decisions about policy. Some groups may find themselves represented on such bodies and have a privilege position. The national farmers union (NFU) and the Institute of directors (IOD) have advised government on these committees, functioning as trade unions and professional bodies representing groups of workers and members of the professions.
-Sectional groups may be called to testify for parliamentary committees, both select and legislative. Although they attend mainly to give advice and information information, it is also an opportunity to have some long-term influence.
-outsiders are those groups that do not enjoy a special position within governing circles. This may be because decision-makers do not wish to be seen to be too close to them or because a group itself wants to maintain its independence from government. More radical groups, such as the animal liberation front, which has a history of using illegal or violent protest to raise awareness of its aims, may find governments do not wish to be associated with them.
-They are usually, but not always promotional groups. This means that they seek to promote a cause or issue, usually one that’s not of personal benefit. Sectional groups with identifiable, memberships and support groups are useful, ally, in policy making, but promotional groups have less certain legitimacy.
-Their typical methods include public campaigning, and recent times often using new media to reach large parts of the population population very quickly. They seek to influence not direct lobbying or ministerial contacts. But by demonstrating to government, that public opinion is on their side.
-outsiders do not need to follow standards with the government will find acceptable, so have greater freedom in the choice of methods they use and are more likely than insider groups to break the law with methods like civil disobedience, mass strikes, and publicity stunts.
why are some PG’s more successful than others?
-Access to decision-makers: Pressure groups with strong connections to politicians, civil servants, or influential individuals often have better access to those in power, enabling them to influence policy more effectively.
-Resources and funding: Well-funded groups can afford professional staff, marketing campaigns, and lobbying efforts, giving them a strategic advantage over smaller, less resourced organisations.
-Public support and media influence: Groups that mobilise widespread public backing and effectively use the media to shape public opinion are more likely to sway policymakers and gain traction for their causes
what is a think tank?
A think tank is a body of experts, created with a deliberate, political purpose, or ideological, leaning to investigate and offer solutions to economic, social or political issues.
-the main role of a think tank is to carry out research and develop policy ideas that can then be adopted by political parties and governments. In this sense. Think tanks carry out one specific role of a pressure group in order to influence those in politics.
-In carrying out the work of policy research, think tanks have replaced one of the traditional roles carried out by political parties. This is advantageous, as it means policies can be considered undeveloped away from public scrutiny and can be tested before might adopt them as an official policy, also saving the party time and resources.
-however, many think tanks are funded with a clear, aim or objective, and so many produce research to support a particular point of view that may not be in the public interest, but it may help support the demands of their donors.
what has happened to UK lelections since 1979?
The act of voting, and in an election or a referendum, is the least intensive form of participation and the most infrequent, yet it is also the most important for most citizens. The level of turnout is therefore a good indicator of participation and engagement with politics. it’s clear that in recent general elections the trend has been mixed.
- there is a general trend of falling turn out however there has been a recovery since the historic low of 2001, a trend that was extended into the 2017 election, but fell back slightly in 2019. The figure of 2/3 could be viewed as disappointing, but also not serious in terms of democratic legitimacy. To assume on the effect of general turnout in the UK on its democracy we would need to compare with that of other democracies.
what is lobbying?
- ‘Lobbying’ is the act of lawfully trying to influence the actions, policies of government officials.
-In any sense, anyone in the UK can lobby, by writing to their MP, signing a petition, or demonstrating, to try to persuade those in power of the validity of their views. In this way, Lobbying is a fundamental part of a democratic society.
- ‘Lobbyists,’ however, are distinct organisations or individuals that sell expert knowledge of the political process and connections with powerful people to those who can afford to hire them.
- Lobbyists and lobbying companies, usually employ people with close relationships with those empower and with expertise in which bodies, committees, and groups they target.
-They create strategies for their clients to access the political process, in a way selling insider status.
How do corporations exert political influence on government?
-large corporations, such as Google, Starbucks, Meta and Amazon are so big and influential that they can qualify as a sectional pressure group of their own.
-in several cases, these corporations have an income far larger than many countries and can use this financial power together with their importance to consumer demand, employment and taxation, to resist government demands and put pressure on governments to achieve their goals.
-Major corporations also seek to emphasize the positive role. They play in the national economy, using this to gain assurances from the government.
– As they employ high numbers of people and account for a large proportion of economic activity, corporations have a strategically important place in the economy. This gives them great insider influence, and they effectively have their own think tanks and lobbyists.
eg: In 2016, Google reached a controversial tax settlement with the UK government, agreeing to pay £130 million in back taxes for profits made in the UK over a decade. Critics, including MPs and tax watchdogs, argued that this amount was disproportionately small given Google’s vast revenues in the country. It was alleged that Google had used its significant economic clout and lobbying efforts to negotiate favorable terms.
Additionally, in recent years, Google (along with other major tech firms like Amazon and Apple) has actively lobbied the UK government on issues related to digital services taxes and regulation of online platforms. Their economic significance to the UK’s tech ecosystem and advertising industry gives them considerable leverage in shaping government policies, particularly as the UK seeks to remain competitive post-Brexit.
what is the difference between civil rights and civil liberties?
Civil liberties safeguard peoples freedoms from government (freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religious worship), whereas civil rights ensure protection against discrimination and guarantee equal treatment (right to life, right to exercise your vote, right to equal treatment).
What are the reasons why prisoners should have the right to vote?
- Human Rights: Voting is a fundamental human right, and prisoners, despite their crimes, remain citizens of the country. Denying them the vote dehumanizes them and infringes on their basic rights.
- Rehabilitation: Allowing prisoners to vote can aid in their rehabilitation by keeping them engaged with society and encouraging them to consider their role as responsible citizens post-release.
- Representation: Policies and laws affect prisoners too, such as prison conditions, healthcare, and rehabilitation programs. They should have a say in choosing leaders who influence these areas.
- Equality: Disenfranchisement disproportionately affects marginalized groups, as they are overrepresented in the prison population. Allowing prisoners to vote helps address systemic inequalities.
- Precedents in Democracies: Many democratic nations, like Canada, South Africa, and several European countries, allow prisoners to vote, showing that such policies align with democratic values.
what are the reasons why prisoners should not have the right to vote?
- Accountability for Actions: Committing a crime breaches the social contract, and losing the right to vote is a reasonable consequence for such actions: ‘responsibilities for rights’.
- Public Perception: Allowing prisoners to vote might be perceived as condoning criminal behavior, which could undermine public trust in the justice system.
- Moral Authority: Those who have committed serious crimes may lack the moral authority to influence decisions about the nation’s governance.
- Security Concerns: Practical challenges may arise in organizing voting in prisons, including concerns over coercion and logistical issues.
- Deterrence: Disenfranchisement acts as an additional deterrent against criminal behavior, reinforcing the consequences of breaking the law.
What was the impact of the Human rights act 1998?
The main terms and status of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) are described in Chapter 5; here we offer a brief description. The HRA brought into effect the European Convention on Human Rights, which was established by the Council of Europe in 1950. The UK helped to draft the Convention but did not accept it as binding on its government until 1998.
Traditionally, the UK relied on a series of negative rights, meaning people were allowed to do anything as long as it was not expressly forbidden by law. This meant these rights existed in the absence of law and were therefore very difficult to enforce and people’s protections were limited. With the introduction of the Human Rights Act, which came into force in 2000 by making the European Convention on Human Rights a statute law, these negative rights were supplanted by positive rights that had to be legally protected and respected, giving the courts an important means of protecting the rights of citizens and the ability to act as a check on the government. This marked, perhaps, the most significant development in the long history of the development of rights in the UK.
The HRA establishes a wide range of rights to replace the patchwork of statute and common law rights in the UK. It is binding on all public bodies other than the UK Parliament (and it is politically binding on Parliament even if not legally binding; Parliament will rarely ignore it). It is also enforced by all courts in the UK, so that laws passed at any level should conform to its requirements.
what was the impact of the Freedom of information Act 200?
Historically, citizens in the UK had no right to see information held by public bodies, whether it related personally to them or not. By the end of the twentieth century, however, it was clear that the UK was out of step with much of the modern democratic world in this respect. In many countries, including the USA, legislation had been passed, first to allow citizens to view information held about them - for example, by the tax authorities, or social security or schools - and then to let them view information held by these bodies that it would be in the public interest to see. Governments were too secretive, it was widely contended, and this was a barrier to making them accountable. The Labour government that came to power in the UK in 1997 therefore decided to redress this situation through the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Since the Act was passed it has proved invaluable tool for social and political an campaigners, for MPs and for the media, allowing them to discover information that was never available in the past. It has helped to improve such services as the health service, the police, the civil service and educational establishments by shedding light on their activities and helping to promote reform. Perhaps most famously, the Daily Telegraph was able to reveal and publicise the MPs’ expenses scandal of 2009, through the freedom of information act.
what are the methods of the group ‘liberty’?
Methods:
-Carries out research and investigations into rights abuses and restrictions and seeks to publicize these through media campaigns.
-It uses both mainstream traditional media and social media to spread awareness and develop support
- It also supports and brings legal challenges against rights abuses, challenging what it regards as unfair or unjust laws that restrict civil liberties, such as a recent legal challenge to lockdown restrictions, as well as providing legal advice and support to cases of discrimination against LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights and disability rights.
-Liberty also works with the government and Parliament to advise on legislation and ensure they comply with the Human Rights Act. As well as media campaigns, Liberty regularly organises petitions (increasingly online), protests and public demonstrations to raise awareness of issues and to demonstrate public support, and it offers pledges to help develop a rights-based society.
what are the successes of the group ‘liberty’?
In July 2023, Liberty was part of a group of 290 organisations that signed a Joint Civil Society Statement on the Illegal immigration Act 2023, explaining why it believed the Act was in violation of key human rights.
-In June 2023, Liberty launched a legal challenge to the home secretary’s use of secondary legislation to introduce new powers to restrict protests.
- In 2022, Liberty provided a briefing on the Bill of Rights to advise MPs during the Second Reading stage in the House of Commons. In 2023, the government announced it was not going to move forward with the proposed Bill of Rights.
-In 2020, Liberty brought a case under the Human Rights Act to successfully pressurise Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council into removing parts of the Public Spaces Protection Order that had been used to criminalise rough sleepers and beggars.
- In August 2020, Liberty won a Court of Appeal ruling against the legal framework used by South Wales Police when employing facial recognition technology.
