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UK Politics (Politics sector) > Pressure Groups > Flashcards

Pressure Groups Flashcards

1
Q

What are the main functions of a Pressure group?

A

-Influence policy-making and decision
-Getting their concerns high up the Political agenda

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2
Q

What tactics can Pressure Groups be seen to use?

A

-Discreet lobbying
-High-Profile methods

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3
Q

What is the political agenda?

A

-Issues that are the subject of decision-making and debate by those with political power
-Agenda varies due to time and circumstances

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4
Q

What does Win Grant suggest about pressure Groups?

A

-Can’t categorise PG by aims but instead by status

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5
Q

What do Pressure groups offer?

A

-Opportunities for political representation and participation

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6
Q

What does status mean in relation to PGs?

A

-Relationship with govt
-How close are they to the corridors of power

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7
Q

What are the main categories of Pressure groups?

A

-Their status to the political establishment > Insider and Outsider groups
-Purpose of their campaign > Interest groups and Promotional groups

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8
Q

What is an insider group?

A

-Close ties and contacts with the govt
-Often represent powerful and well-resourced groups (Business or industry)
-Often offer specialist knowledge and insights that can be useful for drawing up legislation

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9
Q

What is an Outsider group?

A

-Lack of strong ties and established links with govt
-Often represent more marginalised or radical policy agendas
-frequently use direct action to establish their aims

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10
Q

What is an interest group?

A

-Primarily exist to defend and advance the specific interests of their members (trade unions)
-Be defined as more selfish in their aims

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11
Q

What is a promotional group?

A

-Set out to achieve a set of aims that aren’t in the direct interest of their members
-Causes such as human rights
-More selfless in their principles > often based on ethics and principles

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12
Q

what are the sub-categories of insider groups?

A

-Core insiders
-Specialist insiders
-Peripheral insiders
-Prisoner groups
-Policy communities
-Policy networks

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13
Q

What are Core insider groups?

A

-Groups that have long-standing bilateral relationships with policy-makers over a broad range of issues
-NFU etc

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14
Q

What are Specialist insiders?

A

-Groups with insider status > only a small specialist area that their knowledge is needed
-Etc Poultry Federation

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15
Q

What are Peripheral insiders?

A

-Insider status > rarely needed by govt due to the nature of their interest/cause
-Etc SANDS

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16
Q

What are Policy Communities?

A

-Core Insiders

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17
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insider’s group’s Proximity to govt?

A

-Advantage > Good channels of communication with govt - enables informal lobbying which ensures their views are incorporated
-Disadvantage > ‘Policy entrapment’ - unwillingness to criticise or speak out against the political establishment - diminish groups independence

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17
Q

What are Policy Networks?

A

-Insiders but not at the centre of power
-Still an elite group

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18
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insider’s group’s Resources?

A

-Advantage > Usually well-resourced and funded - often hire professional lobbyists
-Disadvantages > No guarantee of success

19
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insider’s group’s govt inquiries?

A

-Advantage > often invited to take part in and give evidence to the public or select bill committees
-Disadvantage > Not just insider groups are called to give evidence > March 2020 following the Fire at Grenfell tower Cladding Action Group

20
Q

What are often the characteristics of outsider groups?

A

-Much less likely to enjoy close and enduring ties with the govt
-Campaigning > often more militant and publicity-seeking

21
Q

What is Fathers 4 Justice?

A

-Outsider Group
-set up in 2001
-Campaigning for divorce rights for fathers

22
Q

What is the Animal Liberation Front?

A

-Militant animal welfare group
-broken into laboratories for scientific animal testing

23
Q

What is Uncut?

A

-Outsider group
-Challenges poverty and tax avoidance
-2010 > stormed Vodafone’s oxford street shop, temporarily shutting it down in protest over claims Vodafone had dodged £6billion in tax

24
Q

What are Potential insiders?

A

-Outsiders that seek to be insiders > lack the experience and connections
-Sometimes achieved successfully through peaceful high-profile campaigns > 2008 joana Lumley joined the Gurkha campaign

25
Q

What are Outsiders by necessity?

A

-Operate as outsiders by virtue >. cause or nature of their tactics
-Violent actions/law-breaking > govt wanting to avoid the idea that illegality can yield positive results
-Can be viewed as too far outside the current political mainstream

26
Q

What are Outsiders by choice?

A

-Normally campaigning for civil liberties
-Amnesty International
-Deliberately stay outside govt > critique policies

27
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Media for Outsider groups?

A

-Advantage > High-profile and sometimes illegal protests make the headlines - raise publicity and awareness of the cause
-Disadvantage > Making headlines may not translate into growth - too much disruption = negative publicity

28
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Direct Action for Outsider groups?

A

-Advantage > Commitment of supporters to a cause can be shown (striking etc)
-Disadvantage > Those who face prosecution > easily labelled as extremists - may do more harm to the group

29
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having links to govt for Outsider groups?

A

-Advantage > freedom to act and take policy stances without being constrained by close ties to govt
-Disadvantages > The type of close ties insider groups have lead to significant influence that the outsider groups may not achieve

30
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of developing insider status for Outsider groups?

A

-Advantages > Can be achieved by a shift in public attitudes or through a change of govt
-Disadvantages > Many will never achieve insider status - many are outsider by choice

31
Q

What is the Elitist debate surrounding Pressure Groups?

A
  • PGs Hinder democracy
    -Believe a tiny majority becomes highly influential in govt
    -Creates Tyranny of the minority within govt > wield disproportionate influence
32
Q

What is the Pluralist debate surrounding Pressure Groups?

A

-Political pluralism > All groups enjoy roughly equal opportunities to campaign and to be heard
-PGs are beneficial to democracy as they enable all legitimate views to be heard > most popular or practical prevails

33
Q

How can Pressure Groups be seen to promote Elitism?

A

-Powerful and well-resourced groups often have ‘the ear’ of govt - use their insider status to influence and manipulate legislation and regulations before they are revealed or debated
-Many Pressure Groups themselves are undemocratic in structure and are dominated by their own internal elites

34
Q

How can Pressure Groups be seen to promote Pluralism ?

A

-The advent of social media has enabled groups with limited financial resources to communicate their message to large numbers
-Many PGs are largely non-hierarchical and are loosely structure > Extinction rebellion and BLM

35
Q

What are the arguments for PGs helping democracy?

A

-Pressure groups contribute positively to public awareness and knowledge of specific issues - promote political education and debate and enable voters as well as policy-makers to be better informed
-Perform a key representative function > Virtually every viewpoint is represented by a PG in some way > Many issues can cut across traditional party-political divides - Many groups have larger memberships than political parties, they better represent voters
-Pressure Groups provide specialist input that enables laws and regulations to be better and fairer.

36
Q

What are the arguments for PGs hindering democracy?

A

-Info put out by PGs is ultimately one-sided and selective > Groups highlight positive aspects of their stance and do not include other viewpoints > true of highly divisive issues
-Unlike elected representatives > PGs have no direct democratic mandate and thus could be said to lack political legitimacy
-Groups consulted on new laws and regulations tend to argue their own case and offer proposals that benefit their vested interests

37
Q

What are the Reasons for PG success?

A

-Achievability of aims > Those who have clear, achievable and ideally popular aims get a lot further
-Insider Status > Close links to corridors of power = success in influencing policy-making in early stages > Lobbying from the Police federation led to the 2019 Police Protections and Powers bill
-In tune with govt policy and ideology > advocating causes already shared by the govt stand much better chance > 1997 repealed Section 28

38
Q

What are other influences on govt and parliament aside from PGs?

A

-Corporations
-Lobbyists
-Think tanks
-media

39
Q

What are Corporations and how do they influence the govt?

A

-Big businesses > constantly in contact with govt and its departments
-Carry sway due to employees and paying tax
-Multinational companies can threaten to move their business outside of the UK
-Become targets of PG themselves

40
Q

What are Lobbysits and how do they influence the govt?

A

-Firms hired to help target a group message as effectively as possible > professional advice
-Former ministers often go on to work for lobbying firms
-2006- 2008 Lobbyist firm Morgan Roberts worked with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust> campaigned for HPV immunisation > policy adopted 2008

41
Q

What are Think Tanks and how do they influence the govt?

A

-Specifically set up to undertake policy research and development - then info is published to push certain policy positions
-Have ideological standpoints
-2018 Centre for Social Justice published the ‘A Women-centred Approach’ report > called on govt to scrap the building of 5 more female prisons

42
Q

What is Chatham House?

A

-Think Tank
-Independent
-focus on Foriegn and defence issues

43
Q

What is the Fabian Society?

A

-Think Tank
-left-wing
-Focusses on a range of policy issues

44
Q

What is Policy Exchange?

A

-Think Tank
-Right-wing
-Focus on better delivery of public services

UK Politics (Politics sector) (14 decks)

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