Pressure groups

Question 1

Pluralism

Answer 1

The concept that democratic politics involves numerous groups competing for power and influence
- characterised by a wide dispersal of power

Question 2

Political Agenda

Answer 2

The issues that are the subject of decision-making and debate by those with the political power
- changes with time/circumstance
-changes depending on which party is in power
- pressure groups aim to get their policy area high up on the political agenda

Question 3

Insider pressure groups

Answer 3

• groups with close ties/contacts with the govt.
• often represent powerful, well-resourced groups
• often offer specialist knowledge/insight that can be useful to the govt. when drawing up legislation
• typically seen as more powerful than outsider groups

Question 4

Outsider pressure groups

Answer 4

• groups that lack strong ties with the govt.
• often represent more marginalised or radical policy agendas
• often use direct action to publicise their aims

Question 5

Promotional groups

Answer 5

• seen as selfless in their objection as they are representing a cause rather than just the self-interest of their members

Question 6

Interest groups

Answer 6

• exist primarily to defend the interests of their members, eg. trade unions
• more selfish in their aims than promotional groups

Question 7

Advantages possessed by insider pressure groups - Proximity to government

Answer 7

• the close relationship with govt. allows for good channels of communication
• if an insider group has an alliance with a political party, they can have lots of influence, especially if that party is in power
• eg. under Labour govts. before 1997, trade unions were widely consulted on aspects of industrial and economic issues to help form policy

Question 8

Advantages possessed by insider pressure groups - Resources

Answer 8

• usually well resourced and funded, so can hire professional lobbyists and sponsor relevant APGs (All-party Parliamentary Groups)
• eg. the RSPCA donated £16,500 to the animal welfare APG who in turn raised their concerns and worked on animal welfare legislation

Question 9

Advantages possessed by insider pressure groups - Government inquiries

Answer 9

• insider groups are often invited to take part in and give evidence to select or public bill committees
• the govt. usually listens as they rely on the insider groups for specialist knowledge when legislating
• eg. in 2013, the King’s Fund (independent health pressure group) gave evidence to the Health Select Committee inquiry into emergency services and care

Question 10

Case Study IPG - National Trust

Answer 10

• has a membership of over 5 million
• lobbies the govt. on issues such as climate change
• routinely consulted on arts and cultural issues
• it’s ties with parliament mean that it can declare land ‘inalienable’, meaning it can never be built upon or compulsorily purchased with specific parliamentary approval

Question 11

Case Study OPG - Extinction Rebellion

Answer 11

• global environmental movement that uses direct action to bring attention to the climate crisis
• first major action was in August 2018 when it blocked a road in Trafalgar Square
• has successfully drawn the govts. attention, eg. in May 2019 Corbyn called on the govt. to declare a national environment and climate emergency
• their destructive tactics have led them to be branded as environmental fanatics and a poll found that 54% of British adults were either strongly or somewhat opposed to their disruptive actions
• overall, despite receiving lots of negative press they have generated significant attention around environmental issues, including catching govt. attention

Question 12

How do pressure groups promote elitism?

Answer 12

• pressure groups fundamentally hinder democracy as the groups with the best connections and resources wield disproportionate influence
• groups that influence weaker, marginalised groups in society are effectively excluded
• many pressure groups are themselves undemocratic in structure, and are dominated by internal elites, eg. Greenpeace
• powerful/well-resourced groups often ‘have the ear’ of govt. and can influence and manipulate policy before it is publically revealed or debated

Question 13

How do pressure groups promote pluralism?

Answer 13

• nearly all groups in modern British society have pressure groups that represent them
• social media has allowed smaller pressure groups to all their voices to be heard by masses of people

Question 14

How do pressure groups help democracy?

Answer 14

• have internally democratic structures, eg. trade unions have regulated secret ballots for internal positions and when they want to take industrial action
• contribute positively to public awareness and knowledge of specific issues. they promote political education and allow both voters and policy-makers to be better informed
• target democratic bodies like Westminster, local councils, and devolved assemblies

Question 15

How do pressure groups hinder democracy?

Answer 15

• unlike elected representatives, pressure groups have no direct democratic mandate and lack political legitimacy
• information put out by PGs is inevitably one-sided and selective. groups highlight the positive aspects of their stance and refute/ignore information from other standpoints (this is especially true for emotional issues like immigration and abortion)
• groups consulted on new laws and regulations tend to argue only their own case and offer proposals that benefit their own interests

Question 16

Factors in pressure group success

Answer 16

1. In tune with govt. policy and idealogy
   - eg. the 1997 Labour govt. was generally positive about gay rights and so repealed legislation that prevented promotion of homosexuality in schools
2. Celebrity endorsement
   - Marcus Rashford led a campaign to secure free school meals for children from low-income families, and forced the govt. into 2 policy U-turns
3. In tune with public opinion
   - after huge public outcry after the Dunblane shooting, the Snowdrop Campaign put pressure on politicians to change the law on private ownership of handguns and quickly led to the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997

Question 17

Factors in pressure group failure

Answer 17

• strong countervailing forces, eg. the Coalition for Marriage which resisted gay marriage faced opposition from the gay rights lobby and groups like Stonewall
• hostile political climate, eg. in 2003 the Stop the War Coalition organised massive rallies against the Iraq invasion, but Blair had a landslide majority and was committed to the policy so the group did not avail
• lack of resources

Question 18

Countervailing forces

Answer 18

equally powerful groups that work against the cause and objective of another pressure group

Question 19

Methods: Direct action

Answer 19

• the most extreme method used
• can include blockades, riots, and property damage
• the Animal Liberation Front (a UK animal rights group) has engaged in direct action, like stealing animals from captivity, circuses, and farms and sabotaging facilities they see as cruel
• went as far as bombing Britain’s biggest testing laboratory

Question 21

Methods: Research and publications

Answer 21

• after carrying out their research, pressure groups may publish reports to educate both the public and policy-makers
• eg. the Taxpayers Alliance produces research on government spending and taxation policies to advocate for lower taxes and fiscal responsibility

Question 22

Methods: Lobbying

Answer 22

• involves directly influencing policymakers by meeting with them, providing information, and making persuasive arguments
• environmental groups like ‘Greenpeace’ and ‘Friends of the Earth’ lobby MPs to support legislation for stricter environmental regulations

Question 23

Think tank influence

Answer 23

• specifically set up to undertake policy research and development, which is then published and often used by pressure groups with similar priorities
• eg., the left wing Fabian Society that focuses on a wide range of policy issues (formally affiliated with labour)

Question 24

Lobbyists influence

Answer 24

• firms hired to help target a group’s message as effectively as possible
• provide professional advice about campaign & communication strategies and can arrange meetings, especially if suffering from ‘revolving door syndrome’

Question 25

Corporations influence

Answer 25

• big business is constantly in contact and consultation w/ govt. and its departments
• businesses carry weight as they provide jobs and pay tax
• corporations can put pressure on the govt. by threatening to move factories and jobs out of the UK

Question 26

Media influence

Answer 26

• the media has always had a large influence over politics, especially Fleet Street
• in 2019, tory-leaning press headlines read ‘Here’s why Corbyn is unfit for No. 10’
• with the emergence of social media, Fleet Street has had less impact
• during the 2019 campaign, Twitter itself accused the tories of misleading the public

Question 27

Example of a corporation applying pressure onto the government

Answer 27

• following the Brexit referendum in 2016, Nissan was concerned about the UK’s future trade relationship with the EU
• they warned warned that if the UK did not secure a favourable Brexit deal, it could reconsider its investments in the UK and potentially move production to other countries within the EU
• eventually, Nissan reached a deal with the govt. and agreed to keep its manufacturing plant in England

Question 28

Revolving door syndrome

Answer 28

• when former ministers go on to work for lobbying firms
• eg., in 2017 veteran Labour MP Barry Sheerman became the chair for the Policy Connect lobbying firm

Question 29

Example of a lobbyist influencing the government

Answer 29

• Morgan Roberts lobbying firm worked with the charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust from 2006-2008, campaigning for a UK-wide vaccination program for HPV
• the policy was adopted in 2008

Question 30

Example of a think tank influencing the government

Answer 30

• in 2018, the Centre for Social Justice called on the govt. to scrap plans for building 5 new women’s prisons and replace them with community-based alternatives
• the govt. subsequently adopted their approach

Question 31

Successful PG - RSPCA etc

Answer 31

In 2004, the RSPCA and other groups joined forces to campaign for the ban on hunting which was eventually successful in the Hunting Dogs Act 2004