Pressure Groups And Democracy

Question 0

Suggest two ways in which pressure groups can be seen to enhance democracy

Answer 0

They allow participation between elections.

They give a voice to minority groups.

Question 1

What is pluralism?

Answer 1

A system of government that allows and encourages public participation, particularly through the activities of competing pressure groups.
The UK is often seen as a pluralist democracy with competing pressure groups and the government acting as referee.
Pluralism is not fully achieved in the UK because of inequality of access and influence amongst competing pressure groups.

Question 2

Suggest two ways in which pressure groups can be seen as a threat to democracy.

Answer 2

Well organised minorities can drown out the voice of the general public. Single issue groups can channel enthusiasm away from elections.

Question 3

Which side of the argument do you support and why?

Answer 3

Yes, they support democracy because they allow minorities to be heard.
No, they are a threat to democracy because they focus on a single issue that may not have majority support.

Question 4

Distinguish between sectional and cause groups.

Answer 4

Sectional groups represent the shared interests of a particular section of society whereas cause groups promote an interest or idea not of direct personal benefits to its members.
The distinction between sectional and cause groups is not clear cut. For example, teaching unions campaigned for improvements in education (a cause), while at the same time protecting the sectional interest of their members.

Question 5

Give three examples each of sectional and cause groups.

Answer 5

Sectional: British Medical Association, Law Society, National farmers union.
Call: Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Royal Society for the protection of birds.
Some cause groups are permanent (e.g. Friends of the Earth) and some are temporary (e.g. Electoral Reform Society)

Question 6

What is a peak or ‘umbrella’ pressure group?

Answer 6

An organisation that speaks for a variety of smaller groups with similar interests, e.g. the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

Question 7

Why might some pressure groups be temporary?

Answer 7

They might disband once they have achieved their objective, e.g. stopping the building of a new road or saving a local hospital.

Question 8

What is an insider pressure group?

Answer 8

A group that is particularly influential because it is regularly consulted by policy-makers such as ministers and civil servants.

Question 9

Give three examples of insider pressure groups

Answer 9

National trust
Confederation of British industry
Royal Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals

Question 10

What is an outsider pressure group?

Answer 10

A group that is not regularly consulted by policy-makers and therefore uses other methods to gain influence

Question 11

Give three examples of outsider groups

Answer 11

Countryside Alliance
Outrage!
Keep Sunday special
Some groups are outside groups by necessity because their views are not supported by key policymakers e.g. campaign for nuclear disarmament

Question 12

What do we mean by the term ‘traditional methods’ in the context of pressure group activities?

Answer 12

Methods such as letter writing, circulating petitions and marches

Question 13

Identify some of the less traditional methods employed by pressure groups in recent years

Answer 13

Hauliers’ use of road blockades over fuel duty.
Members of Fathers 4 Justice climbing Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman.
Showering the Prime Minister with coloured flour at Question Time.
Many pressure groups are now abandoning traditional methods in favour of more innovative and/or direct tactics.

Question 14

Give an example of a group using legal action as a pressure group tactic

Answer 14

Life Alliance (e.g. the application of human fertilisation and embryology act, against abortion and in opposition to the proposed separation of conjoined twins).
The human rights act (1998) enhance the ability of pressure groups to pursue legal remedies within the UK.

Question 15

Give examples of groups using candidacy in elections as a pressure group tactic

Answer 15

Referendum party in 1997.
Pro-life Alliance in 1997 and 2001
Respect in the wake of Iraq war

Question 16

Pressure group activity is growing. True or false?

Answer 16

True. For example, the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds grew from 100,000 members in 1972 to 1,000,000 in 1997

Question 17

Why is pressure group activity growing?

Answer 17

A rise in living standards means that people have more time, freedom and money to participating causes in which they believe.
Many groups are protesting against the results of affluence that gives them the freedom to protest e.g. using mobile phones to coordinate protests against the siting of mobile phone masts

Question 18

Why are many of the new groups outsider groups?

Answer 18

Many protesters are concerned about globalisation or the environment and have members to relish a battle with the state or transnational companies.

Question 19

What tactics are used by these pressure groups?

Answer 19

Dramatic tactics, such as civil disobedience and non-violent direct action, are often used, e.g. by anti-road protesters, animal-rights activists and anti-globalisation protesters.
More and more inventive tactics are being used by pressure groups, e.g. training camps to learn obstructive tactics such as tunnelling and how to build treehouses.

Question 20

What do we mean by direct action?

Answer 20

Direct action starts on the premise that more visible and direct protests – often involving illegal methods or violence – offer the best opportunity of success because they make politicians take notice and can broaden public support.
Direct action can be seen as undermining the principle of representative democracy. For example by boarding Shell’s Brent Spar platform in 1995, Greenpeace was able to scupper plans for deep Sea disposal. These plans for the product of many years of research and had the support of John Major’s government.

Question 21

Identify two reasons why direct action might have become more widespread in recent years

Answer 21

Disillusionment with traditional methods.

A belief that direct action works (e.g. the freezing of the fuel escalator in the wake of the fuel protests in 2000)

Question 22

Give three examples of high-profile direct action campaigns

Answer 22

Hunt saboteurs
Fuel protests
Fathers 4 Justice
The high profile campaign by Fathers 4 Justice lead to the Conservatives adopting many of its immediate demands.