Pressure Groups Flashcards
Definition of Interest/Sectional Groups
Groups that exist primarily to defend and advance rights of their participants i.e. Trade Unions or the National Union of Teachers
Definition of Promotional Groups
Groups that set out aims that are not in the direct interest of its members. i.e. Green Peace or Extinction Rebellion
Definition of Insider Groups
Groups that have close ties with Government. Often well funded and powerful Groups. e.g. The British Medical Association
How Many Members does the BMA have?
Around 160k medical students and Doctors
What are four Methods used by Insider Groups?
1) Influencing Government (face-face meetings
2) Influencing Parliament (Lobby MPs)
3) Influncing Political Parties (Trade Unions in Labour Party)
4) Using the Courts (PGs may try to use Judicial Review to overturn cases)
Give and Example of a Success from the BMA
From 2002 - BMA campaign on a smoking ban is successful in 2007
Give an example of a Failure by the BMA
The BMA cancelled a second junior doctors strike in Sept 2016, with the government not redacting the contracts
Definition of Outsider Groups
Pressure groups that lack strong, established links with the government. They often represent more marginalised or radical policy agendas and frequently use direct action to publicise their aims. Example: Green Peace
Membership of Green Peace
Almost 3m supporters world wide
130k in the UK
Give Four Methods used by Outisder Groups.
1) Appealing to the Public - Can be done Online to organsie marches
2) Backgorund Campaigns - Educational Propaganda ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’
3)Short-Term Campaigns - Specific problem ‘Fire Brigade Campaign
4) Direct Action -
Can be legal (July 2015 group Plane Stupid cut fence at Heathrow and chain themselves to runway cancelling 25 flights)
Can be illegal (Anti-Animal Cruelty harrassment on scientists; AIDS bombs)
Give an example of a Success by GreenPeace
In 2015 the campaign against Shell’s arctic drilling worked
Give an example of a failure by GreenPeace
Failed to prevent Cairn energy from drilling for gas off the coast of Greenland
Five Factors that Affect Pressure Group Influence
1) Membership - BMA is well respected profession
2) Resources - Lots of money is needed for Judicial Review
3) Aims - Limited and easily achievable aims are more likely to be met - the Snowdrop Campaign was set up after the Dunblane massacre of 1996 - aimed to ban private ownership of handguns in the UK. This was straightforward to achieve and an Act of Parliament was passed in 1997.
4) Public Support - Helps win over politicians; Snowdrop Campaign had huge backing
5) Methods - Unethical methods less liekly to be supported; SHAC campaign agaisnt Animal testers eneded with prison sentences
Give Four Factors that could affect political influence of PGs
1) Celebrity Endorsment
2) Links with Political Parties - Trade Unions provided much of its funding for 2017 campaign
3) Links with Government - Insider Group Advantage
4) Relationship with Media - Media attention can put pressure on politicians
Give 6 factors in Pressure Group Failure
1) Objectives that are too extreme in Current Political Climate - Anti-Capitalist groups such as the Occupy Movement
2) Lack of Resources
3) Association with Violence and Disorder - although this could grab headlines it is counterproductive
4) Links to Government - Outsider groups suffer
5) Hostile Political Climate - The Stop the War Coalition organised huge rallies against the 2003 invasion of Iraq but the Bair government enjoyed a huge Commons majority, support from the conservatives and the prime minister
6) Strong Opposition - Sometimes from Other PGs e.g. the Coaliton for Marriage, which resisted gay marriage, faced considerabe opposition from the gay rights lobby
