PRESSURE GROUPS Flashcards
- Explain and analyse three main functions of pressure groups. p228-229 and your notes
P – Seek to influence policy making and decisions
E – For example, this can be short-term such as the passing or amending of a particular bill or it may be broader and involves getting their concern high on the political agenda. For example, environmental groups want change across a wide scope of policy areas
P – Seek to influence those elected and other institutions of government
E – They do this in a multitude of ways from violent direct action to lobbying MPs. Some use high profile methods whilst others conduct research behind the scenes.
P – Campaign for their cause and for resources
E – This may be in the face of competition such as gay marriage and religious groups or may be the allocation of research money in scientific groups with different causes.
- Explain and analyse three different types of pressure group. p229 and your notes.
P – Insider groups
E – Have close ties and contact with the government. They often represent well-resourced groups or offer specialist knowledge useful for drawing up legislation. For example the National Trust
P – Outsider groups
E – Lack strong established links with the government. Often represent more marginalised or radical policy agendas. For example, Coalition for marriage which is opposed to the redefinition of marriage.
P – Promotional groups
E – Set out to achieve a specific set of aims that are not in the direct self-interest of their members. For example Shelter which is based in ethics and principles
- Explain and analyse three different types of insider pressure group. p231 and your notes.
P – Core insiders
E – Longstanding bilateral relationship with policy makers. National Farmers Union has traditionally not only maintained a close relationship with government departments and civil servants but also were an important presence in Brussels until BREXIT.
P – Specialist insiders
E – Insider status within a specific area where their knowledge is required. Eg. British Meat and Poultry association which addresses a multitude of issues on all parts of the production chain.
P – Prisoner Group
E – Impossible to break away from insider status. Historic England is funded by Dep. For Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. However, this lack of independence means it is harder to resit policies such as HS2 that impacts landscapes and historic buildings.
Explain and analyse three advantages possessed by insider pressure groups. p230-233 and your notes.
P – Proximity to government
E – Good channels of communication with the government and Whitehall departments. This can enable informal lobbying before draft legislation to ensure their view is incorporated
P – Government enquiries
E – Often invited to give evidence to select or public bill committees. For example in 2013, the Kings fund gave evidence to the Health Select Committees enquiry into emergency services care
P – Resources and ties
E – Usually well researched and able to fund professional lobbyists. Ties to major political parties and can be important donors. From 2010-2015 Unite donated 28 million to the Labour party.
- Explain and analyse three disadvantages of insider status. p231-232 and your notes.
P – Proximity to government
E – Can lead to “policy entrapment” and an unwillingness to speak out against the establishment. This can threaten a groups’ independence and freedom of action.
P – Historic ties can be constrictive
E – Trade unions are heavily tied to the Labour party. This means when that party is out of office, groups associated with it are left without power.
P – Political activism disabled
E – Unlike in the USA, UK pressure groups are not allowed to air political ads and are limited in their involvement in election campaigns
- Explain and analyse three different methods of insider pressure groups. p230-231 and your notes.
P – Maintaining close relationships with government civil servants and MPs
E – This allows them to access corridors of power. Until Brexit NFU maintained an important presence in Brussels as decisions on farming were often made at EU level.
P – Advising the government
E – Under Labour governments trade unions were widely consulted on aspects of economic and industrial issues. They carried considerable weight when it came to policy formulation. The Unite trade union donated over £4 million in the last 3 months of 2019.
P – Giving evidence and conducting research for the government to inform decisions.
E – The APG for Animal welfare gave oral evidence for an enquiry on abattoir provision in the UK and drafted a report with a set of recommendations for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
- Explain and analyse three features of insider pressure groups. p229-p233 and your notes. ????????
- Explain and analyse three different methods of outsider pressure groups. p233-236 and your notes.
P – Lobbying
E – The Gurkha Justic Campaign spent 4 years lobbying the Blair and Brown government to give equal rights to all Gurkhas to settle permanently in the UK.
P – Terrorism
E – Extreme outsider groups who claim to be inspired by fundamental militant groups such as IS.
P – Militant methods
E – The Animal Liberation Front has broken into labs that use animals or harassed scientists involved in such research.
- Explain and analyse three different types of outsider pressure group. p234 and your notes.
P – Potential Insiders
E- Seek to be insiders but lack the skills r connections. Can be achieved through high-profile campaigns The Gurkha Justice Campaign gained a much higher profile after celebrity Joanna Lumley joined.
P – Outsiders by necessity due to cause or tactic
E – Violent actions or law breaking make it hard for government to consult with the group. If aims are outside political mainstream it is difficult for policy makers to take them seriously. For example, The Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament is against government policy.
P – Outsiders by choice
E – Deliberately choose to stay outside government circles. This is to retain independence, criticise policies and avoid a relationship that could threaten their objectivity. For example, Amnesty International. This is because they pledge to be outside of any institution, ideology, economic interest or religion
- Explain and analyse three advantages of outsider status. p235 and your notes.
P – Media
E- High profile protest can raise publicity and promote awareness of a groups cause. For example a poll at the end of 2022 revealed that 78% participants had heard of Just Stop Oil.
P – Direct Action
E – Can result in fines or imprisonment showing the commitment of followers of a cause. In 2019 over 3000 people from extinction rebellion were arrested
P – Enjoy freedoms that insider groups lack
E – They can take policy stances without being constrained or fear of losing funding.
- Explain and analyse three disadvantages of outsider status. p235 and your notes
P – Media
E – Too much can lead to negative publicity and public response. A poll at the end of 2022 found that 78% knew about Just Stop Oil but 41% disliked the groups
P – Direct Action
E – Those arrested or who face prosecution could be seen as extremists, harming the reputation of their organisations.
P - Insignificant influence on government
E – Lack the close ties held by insider groups which allow them significant power over legislation. Harder to achieve their aims.
- Explain and analyse three features of outsider groups. p234 and your notes.????????
- Explain and analyse three ways that pressure groups can influence government. P230-236 and your notes.
P – Lobbying and campaigning for their cause
E - The Gurkha Justic Campaign spent 4 years lobbying the Blair and Brown government to give equal rights to all Gurkhas to settle permanently in the UK.
P – Conducting research and giving evidence during Enquiries
E - The APG for Animal welfare gave oral evidence for an enquiry on abattoir provision in the UK and drafted a report with a set of recommendations for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
P – Consulting and advising the government on key legislation
E – Under Labour governments trade unions were widely consulted on aspects of economic and industrial issues. They carried considerable weight when it came to policy formulation.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which pressure groups promote elitism. p237-238 and your notes.
P – Wealthy/ well-resourced pressure groups are more likely to be insider groups
E – This means they often “have the ear” of the government and use this to manipulate legislation from within, often before they are even publicised. In contrast, the marginalised and poorly resourced have less influence and representation.
P – Groups that are already powerful often claim a monopoly of knowledge and competence in their field
E – Can fund research to back up their claims. For example, discussions about legal reform relies heavily on legal advice from the same groups who the policy is aimed at. The views and the concerns of the ordinary users of the system are unlikely to get the same say.
P – Pressure groups often have an undemocratic structure.
E – Specifically, they are dominated by their own internal elites. An accusation of having a bureaucratic was brought against Greenpeace. This would mean that often ordinary members will not have control over campaigns ect.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which pressure groups promote pluralism. p237-238 and your notes.
P – Enables the representation of all views
E – Pressure groups are almost vessels of expression which allow a multiplicity of views To exist. Coalition for marriage and Stonewall both exist due to free speech and allow everyone to convey their views.
P – Social media has enhanced the influence of pressure groups
E – It has allowed groups with limited resources to communicate their message and allows people to engage with a variety of pressure groups digitally. Extinction rebellion has over 650,000 followers on Instagram.
P – No group is too powerful to be untouchable in a democracy
E – There are adequate checks in place to limit the powerful and entrenched interest groups. In fact, the British medical Association, a powerful insider group resorted to strike action in response to reforms to the health service and doctors pay.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which pressure groups help democracy. p239 and your notes.
P – Provide popular forums for campaigning and active political participation
E – Groups including stop the war coalition took part in mass rallies in 2003 against the Iraq. Around 1 million people attended the main London March, the largest ever political demonstration in the UK. Large crowds of people also attended the BLM campaigns during 2020.
P – Representative function
E – Pressure groups represent virtually every view/group. Many of these can cut across traditional party divides. The Gurkha Justic Campaign spent 4 years lobbying the Blair and Brown government to give equal rights to all Gurkhas to settle permanently in the UK. Stonewall which represents the LBTQ community. Thus they promote political education and enable both voters and policy makers to be more informed.
P – Structures are increasingly democratic
E – Trade unions often have regulated secret ballots for internal positions and for when they want to take industrial action. Many pressure groups are often registered charities. This means their finances are regulated by the Charity Commission.
- Explain and analyse three ways in which pressure groups hinder democracy. p239 and your notes.
P – Large scale participation in pressure groups is not the norm
E – A large proportion of members of big organisations are passive. Much participation may be as simple as signing an e-petition or sending a pre-written email to their local MP.
P – Lacking political legitimacy
E – Have no direct mandate and are no more representative than unelected officials. When groups are consulted on new laws and regulations, they tend to only argue their case and benefit their vested interest
P – They are inevitably one-sided in the information they put out
E – Either the positive aspects of their stance or refute other viewpoints. This is particularly true in highly decisive issues such as legislation. Thus political education is not balanced.
- Explain and analyse three reasons why a pressure groups may be successful. p240-241 and your notes.
P – In tune with public opinion
E – In 1996, after the tragic shooting of a teacher and 15 students by a legally owned handgun, the Snowdrop Campaign put pressure on the government to change the laws on gun ownership. This led to the Firearms Amendment Act 1997
P – Large membership
E – Boosts resources and finances. This allows groups to run national publicity campaigns, conduct research and hire professional lobbyists. The RSPB has over 1.2 million members In 2021/22 the RSPB had revenue of £157 million which is not only used for political purposes but for maintaining their over 222 nature reserves
P – Media Support
E – Allows groups to raise their profiles. Howard League for Penal Reform, with support from the media and through famous authors such as Phillip Pullman led to a U-turn on an attempt to ban sending books to prisoners in 2014.
- Explain and analyse three reasons why a pressure groups may be unsuccessful. p242 and your notes.
P – Extreme objectives
E – Unworkable in current political climate so unlikely to gain government support and achieve it’s aims. For example, the Occupy pressure group is unlikely to succeed as it is largely “Anti-Capitalist” and we are living in a Capitalist society.
P – Lack of resources
E – Can present themselves professionally as may struggle to conduct research or lobby effectively
P – Outsider statues
E - Lack the close ties held by insider groups which allow them significant power over legislation. Harder to achieve their aims. On the other hand, insider groups have good channels of communication with the government and Whitehall departments. This can enable informal lobbying before draft legislation to ensure their view is incorporated
- Explain and analyse three ways in which groups other than pressure groups, influence government. p242-245 and your notes.
P – Corporations
E – Businesses carry considerable weight. In an increasingly globalised economy, multinational corporations can threaten to move jobs outside the UK.
A – Not untouchable. In 2020 there was introduced a 2% digital sales tax on search engines despite opposition from Google and Amazon.
P – Lobbyists (Firms hired to help target a group’s message as effectively as possible )
E – Morgan Roberts lobbying firm worked with the charity Jo’s cervical cancer for a UK wide human papilloma immunisation and the policy was adopted in 2008
P – Think-tanks
E – Set up to undertake policy research which is published and used to push certain policy positions. Non-political think tank centre for social justice was successful in changing 5 UK women’s prisons into community alternatives.
