Pressure Groups Flashcards
What are the main functions of a Pressure group?
-Influence policy-making and decision
-Getting their concerns high up the Political agenda
What tactics can Pressure Groups be seen to use?
-Discreet lobbying
-High-Profile methods
What is the political agenda?
-Issues that are the subject of decision-making and debate by those with political power
-Agenda varies due to time and circumstances
What does Win Grant suggest about pressure Groups?
-Can’t categorise PG by aims but instead by status
What do Pressure groups offer?
-Opportunities for political representation and participation
What does status mean in relation to PGs?
-Relationship with govt
-How close are they to the corridors of power
What are the main categories of Pressure groups?
-Their status to the political establishment > Insider and Outsider groups
-Purpose of their campaign > Interest groups and Promotional groups
What is an insider group?
-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
What is an Outsider group?
-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
What is an interest group?
-Primarily exist to defend and advance the specific interests of their members (trade unions)
-Be defined as more selfish in their aims
What is a promotional group?
-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
what are the sub-categories of insider groups?
-Core insiders
-Specialist insiders
-Peripheral insiders
-Prisoner groups
-Policy communities
-Policy networks
What are Core insider groups?
-Groups that have long-standing bilateral relationships with policy-makers over a broad range of issues
-NFU etc
What are Specialist insiders?
-Groups with insider status > only a small specialist area that their knowledge is needed
-Etc Poultry Federation
What are Peripheral insiders?
-Insider status > rarely needed by govt due to the nature of their interest/cause
-Etc SANDS
What are Policy Communities?
-Core Insiders
What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insider’s group’s Proximity to govt?
-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
What are Policy Networks?
-Insiders but not at the centre of power
-Still an elite group
What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insider’s group’s Resources?
-Advantage > Usually well-resourced and funded - often hire professional lobbyists
-Disadvantages > No guarantee of success
What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insider’s group’s govt inquiries?
-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
What are often the characteristics of outsider groups?
-Much less likely to enjoy close and enduring ties with the govt
-Campaigning > often more militant and publicity-seeking
What is Fathers 4 Justice?
-Outsider Group
-set up in 2001
-Campaigning for divorce rights for fathers
What is the Animal Liberation Front?
-Militant animal welfare group
-broken into laboratories for scientific animal testing
What is Uncut?
-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
What are Potential insiders?
-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
What are Outsiders by necessity?
-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
What are Outsiders by choice?
-Normally campaigning for civil liberties
-Amnesty International
-Deliberately stay outside govt > critique policies
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Media for Outsider groups?
-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
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Direct Action for Outsider groups?
-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
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having links to govt for Outsider groups?
-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
What are the advantages and disadvantages of developing insider status for Outsider groups?
-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
What is the Elitist debate surrounding Pressure Groups?
- PGs Hinder democracy
-Believe a tiny majority becomes highly influential in govt
-Creates Tyranny of the minority within govt > wield disproportionate influence
What is the Pluralist debate surrounding Pressure Groups?
-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
How can Pressure Groups be seen to promote Elitism?
-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
How can Pressure Groups be seen to promote Pluralism ?
-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
What are the arguments for PGs helping democracy?
-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.
What are the arguments for PGs hindering democracy?
-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
What are the Reasons for PG success?
-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
What are other influences on govt and parliament aside from PGs?
-Corporations
-Lobbyists
-Think tanks
-media
What are Corporations and how do they influence the govt?
-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
What are Lobbysits and how do they influence the govt?
-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
What are Think Tanks and how do they influence the govt?
-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
What is Chatham House?
-Think Tank
-Independent
-focus on Foriegn and defence issues
What is the Fabian Society?
-Think Tank
-left-wing
-Focusses on a range of policy issues
What is Policy Exchange?
-Think Tank
-Right-wing
-Focus on better delivery of public services
