pressure groups Flashcards
Pressure groups defintion
-Groups that seek to influence politics in order to achieve particular goals.
-Crucial to a pluralist democracy
Causal/Promotional groups
-Focused on achieving a particular goal or drawing attention to a particular issue, e.g. Greenpeace promoting awareness over environmental causes.
Sectional/Interest Groups
-Promote the interests of a particular group in society, e.g. trade unions.
-Membership is often limited to people with certain qualifications/expertise, e.g. the Law Society is open to solicitors in England and Wales
Social Movements
-Similar to causal groups but more loosely structured.
-E.g. anti-Iraq War protests in 2003, arranged by the Stop the War Coalition which included an estimated 750,000 demonstrators
-Black Lives Matter demonstrations in summer 2020
-People’s Vote marches (related to Revoke Article 50 petition)
Insider groups
-Groups that rely on close contacts with ministers and civil servants to achieve their aims. E.g. National Union of Farmers and DEFRA have close links with relative government.
Outsider groups
-Not consulted by government, often have radical and non-‘politically correct’ views, may put off the government from talks.
-Alternatively, talking to those in power may taint their ideological purity, e.g. ‘Occupy London’
Switching between insider and outsider status
Trade unions enjoyed privileged access and influence in the post-war era, especially with Labour governments. However, when Thatcher came into power union leaders were deliberately excluded and made the enemy of the people.
Insider methods
-Can be given the opportunity to be consulted by government, E.g. NFU gives Conservative governments specialized knowledge for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in return for influence over policy.
Outsider methods
-May try to exercise influence through demonstrations, e.g. Just Stop Oil staged protests throughout 2022 including blocking roads.
-May issue legal challenges against policies, e.g. Countryside Alliance took its case against banning of fox hunting to the High Court in 2004, but failed.
-Trade unions go on strike
How pressure groups may use both
-British Medical Association usually enjoys insider status, however initiated strike action in 2016 due to Conservative attempt to impose a new contract on junior doctors
Stonewall pressure group outsider
-Formed in 1989 as an outsider group in opposition to Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act which prohibited the ‘promotion of homosexuality’
Stonewall insider
-Became an insider group when New Labour came into power in 1997, used legal challenges in the ECHR to challenge existing legislation.
-Challenged the banning of homosexuality in the armed forces, involved in legislative achievements including equalizing the age of consent to 16 years old.
Stonewall 2022
Boycotted the Conservative government’s first global LGBT conference over its decision to exclude trans people from a ban on conversion therapy. Became an outsider group under this government
