pressure groups

Question 1

what are insider groups?

Answer 1

• consulted by the govt - insider status

- law abiding, good public image, trust with govt

Question 2

what are outside groups?

Answer 2

• not consulted by govt - try to influence political decision making from outside
• some work towards insider - others opposed to govt + happy to remain

Question 3

what are the aims of the british medical association? what is the membership and methods?

Answer 3

• doctor’s trade union - improve pay + conditions
• lobbies govt for improvements to healthcare (ex sugar tax on drinks)
• 160k doctors + med students
• briefs MPs on health policy, meets with ministers + responds to consultations
• organised first full strike in 2016 due to changes to junior doctors’ contract

Question 4

what are the successes of the BMA?

Answer 4

• april 2018 - sugar tax desired came true

- campaigned for a smoking ban - achieved in 2007

Question 5

what are the failures of the BMA?

Answer 5

• cancelled plans for strike after jnr doctors complained no time to prepare

Question 6

what are the aims of green peace? what is the membership and methods?

Answer 6

• stated ‘ensure ability of earth to nurture life’ - casual group
• 3 million worldwide, 130k in UK
• initially relied on direct action campaigns - shutting down a coal-fired power station 2007
• patrols sea - intercepting + challenging whalers, nuclear testers + illegal fishers
• investigates destruction
• recently using insider methods

Question 7

what are the successes of greenpeace?

Answer 7

• campaign against microbeads succeeded in 207
• 2017 conservative govt announced plans for lower carbon economy
• campaigned against shell - arctic drilling - included convincing lego to refuse working with them - 2015 shell announced would no longer drill

Question 8

what are the failures of greenpeace?

Answer 8

• 2011-12 failed to prevent cairn energy from exploring gas reserves in greenland
• 2016 - more than 100 nobel laureates signed a letter criticising greenpeace for campaign against GMO’s - claims of anti-science
• some methods criticised to alienate

Question 9

what are the methods used by pressure groups?

Answer 9

• lobby
• civil disobedience
• research + publish reports - awareness + education
• give evidence at hearings - public consultations, legislative committees, + select committees hold hearings to help determine decision/action

Question 10

what is a promotional group?

Answer 10

altruistic - no connection

Question 11

what is an interest group?

Answer 11

defend interests of particular group in society

Question 12

what are the three reasons for a pressure groups success?

Answer 12

• insider status - can influence ministers - close links - case study
• wealth - financial resources allow to pay for things that may help promote cause - 2012 - british bankers’ association paid lobbyists to persuade ministers to cut corporation tax + taxes on banks’ overseas subsidiaries
• celebrity endorsement - popular celebrity will generate press interest + raise profile of cause - may help draw members to group - 2009 joanna lumley + gurkha justice campaign secured equal rights for british + commonwealth soldiers - prev spent 4 years trying to persuade blair + brown govts to give equal rights to all gurkhas (nepalese soldiers who serve in british army)

Question 13

what are three reasons for a pressure groups failure?

Answer 13

• goal contradicts a govt policy - if determined to follow a particular policy - difficult for pressure group to persuade - ex, conservative govt determined to introduce policy for 7-day NHS - BMA campaign against failed
• govt can resist pressure from group - if those in power strong enough - able to resist + ignore - stop the war organised mass rallies to stop invasion of iraq 2003 - but with large majority + cross-party support - blair govt able to resist
• countervailing forces - may find itself competing with another, power powerful + popular pressure group which ‘wins’ - pro-smoking group forrest failed to prevent restrictions on smoking in UK - largely because lost out to group ASH - successfully campaigned for restrictions

Question 14

how can relationship with media influence pressure groups?

Answer 14

• most groups aim to attract publicity
• can put pressure on politicians - ex snowdrop campaign
• media criticism also helps govt justify ignoring - newspaper criticised BMA jnr strike

Question 15

what are other influences on government and parliament?

Answer 15

• think-tanks
• lobbyists
• corporations
• media

Question 16

what are think-tanks?

Answer 16

• exist purely to develop + formulate new policies
• funded privately by individuals, groups/businesses
• some clear position on political spectrum others neutral
• do not campaign for political parties - aim to convince them/govt to adopt their policies

Question 17

what are lobbyists?

Answer 17

• political operatives who are paid to influence the government
• usually employed by wealthy pressure groups/corporations
• arrange meetings with influential politicians + try to convince them to support aims of their employer

Question 18

what are corporations?

Answer 18

• often work closely with govt in order to develop practical legislation which is relevant to their business
• they lobby the govt for favourable conditions of business (lower taxes ex)
• may threaten to relocate if govt doesn’t meet demands
• many owners of large companies make donations to political parties - particularly tory
• many corporations fund think-tanks that support their aims

Question 19

what is the medias influence?

Answer 19

• govt scrutinised
• govt ministers often have personal links with key figures in media - david cameron + rebekah brooks (former editor of the sun) revealed
• support from newspapers can help govt win elections + increase enthusiasm for policies

Question 20

what is political agenda? what are three ways in which pressure groups can influence it?

Answer 20

• most important political issues of the day + can be determined by the public/media rather than govt
• celebrity endorsement
• criticism
• civil disobedience (extinction rebellion - a number of sit-down protests - disturbed many counties (ex essex)

Question 21

what are three lobbying scandals?

Answer 21

• In 2009 two Labour peers suspended - said they would help to amend a bill going through parliament in return for a fee - barred from the Lords for 6 months
• In 2012 Cruddas told would-be party donors that a sum of more than £200,000 would grant them direct access at social events to the then prime minister and the chancellor
• Three former Labour ministers 2010 lost parliamentary passes - reporter claimed to be from lobbying firm - Byers described himself as being like a “cab for hire” - Hoon told the reporter he wanted to use his connections for something that “bluntly, makes money” -

Question 22

example of a corporation helping to produce legislation relevant to their business?

Answer 22

institute of economic affairs opposed plain cigarette packaging + received fundings from british american tobacco

Question 23

how do pressure groups help democracy?

Answer 23

• provide popular forums for campaigning + active political participation - stop the war coalition - mass rallies in 2003 against iraq war - 1 million people - largest ever political demonstration
• The pluralist interpretation is that pressure groups are an essential part of democracy as they allow different sections of society to have their views heard by government
• increasingly have structures that are internally democratic - ex trade unions have regulated secret ballots for internal positions + when they want to take industrial action (many PG that are also charities subject to regulation by charity commission ( can investigate financial irregularities/ conflict of interest)) - how can it hinder democracy when mirrors

Question 24

how do pressure groups hinder democracy?

Answer 24

• some do not have internally democratic structures - some dominated by a few powerful/charismatic individuals + disagreements can lead to split - ex, extinction rebellion + setting up of a more radical beyond politics party 2020
• unlike democratic political parties - not accountable to electorate - beyond politics party’s civil disobedience - sainsbury’s food haul contrary to rule of law (respect + enable to work properly)
• The elitist interpretation is that pressure groups are undemocratic: they give a louder voice to the most powerful. Rich, educated - wealth - british bankers + celebrity endorsement - others have to resort to undemocratic civil disobedience (not everyone has a true voice - comes at a cost)