Pressure Group Behaviour Flashcards
What are access points , or ‘points of leverage’ ?
The points within the political system at which pressure groups and other interested parties can exert pressure on those who hold political power
Where is power concentrated in a unitary system?
at the centre
Are there more access points in a unitary system or federal?
federal system
Where is power in a federal system?
sovereign power over different areas of policy is held at different levels of government
Which types of systems offer a great range of meaningful access points to pressure groups?
systems that incorporate a clear separation of powers and an entrenched system of checks and balances such as the USA
What 3 factors have increased the number of access points in the UK over recent years?
- Scottish Parliament with primary legislative powers
- Creation of assemblies and executives in Wales, Northern Ireland and London
- Independent UKSC from the HOL
What powers do the Scottish Parliament have?
primary legislative powers
What are the 4 traditional methods of pressure groups?
- letter writing campaigns
- petitions
- marches
- conventional lobbying
What pressure group complied a petition of more than 2 million names in the mid 1980s and employed postcard campaigns in 1989 and 1990?
Anti-abortion organisation , Life
What did the anti-abortion organisation , Life, do in 1989 and 1990 as a traditional method of pressure groups ?
compiled a petition of more than 2 million names in mid 1980s and employed a post card campaign in 1989 and 1990 against the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
What did the anti-abortion organisation , Life, campaign against?
the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
What were there marches against in 1990 which were influential as a traditional method of pressure groups?
Marches against the Poll Tax
What is lobbying?
At a simple level, individuals or members of pressure groups may write to a government minister or visit the Palace of Westminster to lobby in person those who have influence over the groups area of interest or expertise
For a fee, what will professional lobby firms offer?
these organisations will direct professional lobbyists to use their contacts on behalf of the pressure group in question
Give an example of a professional lobby firm
the one time lobbying group Ian Greer Associates
What did the one time lobbying group Ian Greer Associates do ?
arranged the initial contact between Mohamed Al Fayed and the Conservative MP and junior trade minister Neil Hamilton
What influence do core insider groups have over influencing the legislate process directly?
have the ability to influence the formation of policy at an early stage though consultation with ministers, civil servants and government appointed bodies working on legislative proposals
What do some larger groups do to attempt to influence the legislative process directly?
they employ lobbyists to pursue their legislative goals and maintain permanent Westminster offices
In what 2 ways can pressure groups embarking on legal action work ?
1) the court finds that the government has acted in a manner beyond the authority granted (ultra vires)
2) such action raises public awareness of a particular issue, win or lose
What pressure group is an example of when they have embarked on legal action and raised public awareness for their cause?
the Pro-Life Alliance’s challenge over the application of the hUman fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
Why is working through a political party sometimes difficult to do?
the government is likely to be subject to far greater demands on its time and policy-formulation is often more top down
When is the easiest time for pressure groups to work through a political party?
when they are in opposition
Give an example of when a pressure group has worked through a political party in the opposition
Charter 88 and Labour pre 1997
What are direct action campaigns?
It starts from the premise that conventional methods of influencing policy are flawed and that more visible, direct protests may offer the best opportunities for success
Why do some pressure groups believe that using direct action will offer the best opportunities for success? (2)
because they make politicians taken notice and can broaden public support
What are 3 examples of direct action ?
- civil disobedience
- illegality
- violence
What do critics argue against direct action campaigns?
that the rise of single-issue, direct action politics undermines our system of representative democracy
What do some critics believe that that the rise of single-issue, direct action politics undermines our system of representative democracy ?
because such campaigns prevent government from implementing their programmes and from pursuing policies that address the nation and not just sectional interests
What are 6 examples of actual direct action campaigns
- anti-road protests
- campaigns against live animal exports
- fuel protests
- Fathers4Justice
- campaigns against fox hunting
- against vivisection and airport expansion
what are 3 ways some pressure groups use paid media?
- whole page advertisements in national press
- direct mail
- producing and airing t.v advertisements
Which and when did a single-issue party use media to express their cause ?
1997 general election the Referendum Party produced a video, which it sent free of charge to millions of households
Who ran a series of hard hitting magazine advertisements depicting the fate of vulnerable children?
Barnardo’s
How did the NSPCC use media?
used television advertising in their Full Stop campaign targeting violence against children
What are the 3 ways a pressure group can use unpaid media through eliciting news coverage?
- stunts
- planning marches
- employing direct action techniques
What is the benefit of high-speed internet access, social networking sites and smartphones for pressure groups?
technology allows those with similar views to communicate, network and plan demonstrations with great speed with little financial cost
How did the pressure group Greenpeace prevent Shell in 1995 who were given permission from the government to dump the 14,500 ton Brent Spar oil platform in the North Atlantic? (3)
- Flew a satellite uplink to broadcast live to European News programmes
- organised boycotts and protests at Shell petrol stations in Germany and Holland
- Press releases proving data on the residues inside the Spar
What act of parliament was the RSPCA consulted over in 1991?
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
Why are the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) and the road protesters outside the political loop?
- AFL because its extreme tactics cause its members to be classified more as animal rights terrorists than as belonging too legitimate pressure groups
- road protesters nausea their aims ran contrary to government policy
Which government did the Winter of Discontent 1978-79 lead to fall?
James Callaghan’s Labour Government
Which union was widely credited with paralysing Edward Heaths Conservative government?
the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)
Why was their a decline in trade union activity due to the changing of occupational structure?
the decline in heavy manufacturing industry led to the decline of what Ivor Crew called the traditional or old working class in favour of a new working class that was less cohesive, less militant and less heavily unionised
Who said ... the decline in heavy manufacturing industry led to the decline of what \_\_\_\_\_\_ called the traditional or old working class in favour of a new working class that was less cohesive, less militant and less heavily unionised
Ivor Crew
How was there anti-union legislation in the 1980’s which led to a decline in trade union activity?
-various employment acts and trade union acts were pushed through during the Thatcher years (1979-90) severely limited the unions’ ability to act quickly and freely
During the Thatcher years 1979-90, how were trade unions severely limited to act quickly and freely?
they were forced to hold secret ballots before strike action and banned secondary or sympathy action
The defeat of whom in 1985 marked a watershed in union power?
the NUM
The National Union of Mineworkers
By 2010, what percentage of the private sector and public sector workers were union members?
private sector members - 14.3%
Public sector members- 56.3%
