Pressure Groups Flashcards
What are pressure groups divided into depending on what they are supporting?
Cause and interest
What is a cause group?
Supporting a particular cause either sectional or attitude
What is an interest group?
Supports the interest of a certain business or industry
How can they be divided depending on their relationship with the government?
Insider and outsider
What is an insider?
A group which the government thinks may help in the decision making process
What is an outsider?
A group which are either at odds with the governments views of an issue or are deliberately rejecting an insider status as they want to have a free hand to influence decisions
Outsider groups tend to have views and objectives out with the ones of the government what does this cause?
A lack of close or special relationship with the government and unlikely to be consulted
They lack any formal recognition so they attract though direction sectional what is an example of this?
Greenpeace reject any formal relationship instead of choosing to mobilise the public and media support they out pressure on the government to achieve their aims
What is direct action used to do?
Attract the attention of the public and the media
When is direct action normally used?
When other methods have failed
What does direct action involve?
Protests, marches and possibly civil disobedience
What is direct action used to do?
Raise public awareness or have a voice heard
What happened throughout 2010/11 with the banks in Edinburgh?
Climate change protestors in Edinburgh resorted to direct action in response to the royal bank of Scotland’s investment in oil industry developments around the world
What did they do to do busy carriage ways and buildings because of the banks?
Threw and oil-like substance onto a busy dual carriage way and at buildings Nd smashed windows
Violent and illegal direct action drew criticism from student protestors during demonstrations about tuition fees in 2010 what happened?
It was good tempered apart from a minority who ruined it
How do people contact their mps?
Write email or telephone
How can this be effective?
Mps are up for re election every 5 years and are reliant in voters of their constituents
Pressure group members can also attempt to influence mps who are members of select committees or the public bill committee how can they do it?
Do it themselves or they could emit a professional lobbyist to make contact with the mps and present the views on their behalf
It has been claimed that professional lobbyists were used to what?
Pressurise mps over the decision to close RAF Kinloss and cancel the contract for the new Nimrod MRA4 aircraft
When is contacting peers very influencial?
When the House of Lords is debating a bill that has come through the House of Commons
What do pressure groups attempt to do to get them accepted by the House of Commons?
Court the support of the peers to amend bills and help them be accepted
