Pressure Groups: How They Exert Influence

Question 1

What are pressure groups, and what is their primary goal?

Answer 1

Pressure groups, also known as interest or advocacy groups, seek to influence government policy, public opinion, and legislation. Their primary goal is to promote specific interests or causes.

Question 2

What are the primary methods pressure groups use to exert influence?

Answer 2

Pressure groups use methods such as lobbying, media campaigns, protests, and legal action to exert influence.

Question 3

What are sectional (interest) groups, and what is their main objective?

Answer 3

Sectional groups seek to promote the interests of a specific section of society, such as professional or occupational groups. Their main objective is often to improve working conditions, wages, or secure better benefits for their members.

Question 4

What are some examples of sectional groups?

Answer 4

Examples of sectional groups include trade unions like Unite the Union and the National Union of Teachers, and professional bodies like the Law Society and the British Medical Association (BMA).

Question 5

What are the characteristics of sectional (interest) groups?

Answer 5

Membership is usually restricted to those who meet specific criteria (e.g., workers in an industry), and their objectives often focus on securing better conditions, wages, or benefits for members.

Question 6

What methods do sectional (interest) groups typically use?

Answer 6

Sectional groups typically use lobbying government ministers, industrial action (e.g., strikes, protests), and engaging in negotiations with policymakers.

Question 7

What are cause (promotional) groups, and what is their main objective?

Answer 7

Cause groups seek to promote a specific cause, issue, or set of issues, often aimed at achieving social, political, or environmental change. Their main objective is to raise awareness and influence public policy.

Question 8

What are some examples of cause (promotional) groups?

Answer 8

Examples of cause groups include Greenpeace (for environmental protection) and Shelter (focusing on housing rights and homelessness).

Question 9

What are the characteristics of cause (promotional) groups?

Answer 9

Membership is open to anyone sympathetic to the cause, and their objective is to promote societal change and influence public policy.

Question 10

What methods do cause (promotional) groups typically use?

Answer 10

Cause groups typically use public awareness campaigns, media campaigns, direct action (e.g., protests), and lobbying government officials.

Question 11

What are social movements, and how do they differ from other pressure groups?

Answer 11

Social movements are less formal and more loosely structured groups that focus on specific issues, often in opposition to government or corporate actions. They are typically more radical and focused on single-issue protests.

Question 12

What are some examples of social movements?

Answer 12

Examples of social movements include the “Camps for Climate Action” protests against environmental issues and the “Occupy” movement.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of social movements?

Answer 13

Social movements are decentralised, spontaneous, and focused on radical, single-issue protests.

Question 14

What methods do social movements typically use?

Answer 14

Social movements often use direct action (e.g., protests, occupations), mass mobilisation for rallies, and social media to organise and spread awareness.

Question 15

What is the role of insider groups in relation to the government?

Answer 15

Insider groups have strong, established relationships with government ministers and civil servants. They align their objectives closely with government policy, making them trusted partners in influencing decisions.

Question 16

What are some examples of insider groups?

Answer 16

Examples of insider groups include the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Question 17

What are the characteristics of insider groups?

Answer 17

Insider groups have regular, formal access to policymakers, and their objectives generally align with government interests, making them trusted sources of advice.

Question 18

What methods do insider groups typically use?

Answer 18

Insider groups typically use direct lobbying, offer expert advice to policymakers, and may use media campaigns to amplify their influence.

Question 19

What is the distinction between high-profile and low-profile insider groups?

Answer 19

High-profile insider groups engage the public and use media to amplify their voice (e.g., CBI), while low-profile insider groups work discreetly behind the scenes with minimal public visibility (e.g., Howard League for Penal Reform).

Question 20

What are outsider groups, and how do they differ from insider groups?

Answer 20

Outsider groups do not have direct access to government and often pursue radical or unconventional goals. Unlike insider groups, they do not rely on formal relationships with policymakers.

Question 21

What are some examples of outsider groups?

Answer 21

Examples of outsider groups include animal rights activists (e.g., PETA) and the Occupy movement.

Question 22

What are the characteristics of outsider groups?

Answer 22

Outsider groups lack direct access to decision-makers, often pursue controversial goals, and may maintain ideological purity by keeping their distance from government.

Question 23

What methods do outsider groups typically use?

Answer 23

Outsider groups often use direct action protests (e.g., sit-ins, blockades), social media activism, public demonstrations, strikes, and boycotts.

Question 24

How might some groups shift between being insider and outsider groups?

Answer 24

Some groups may switch between insider and outsider roles depending on the political context. For example, trade unions had insider status during Labour governments but became more adversarial with the Thatcher government in the 1980s.

Question 25

What is pluralism in relation to pressure groups?

Answer 25

Pluralism is the theory that pressure groups are essential to democracy by providing a way for diverse groups to express their interests and have them represented in policy-making, creating a balance of interests

Question 26

What is elitism in relation to pressure groups?

Answer 26

Elitism suggests that power is concentrated in the hands of a few key interest groups, often business and economic elites, leading to unequal influence over policy decisions.

Question 27

What is the transactional model of interest representation?

Answer 27

The transactional model focuses on the idea that the relationship between the government and pressure groups is based on mutual benefit, where groups provide support or information in exchange for favorable policy outcomes.

Question 28

What is grassroots mobilisation, and how do pressure groups use it?

Answer 28

Grassroots mobilisation involves mobilising members and the public to influence political outcomes, often through petitions, letters to MPs, and organising local protests

Question 29

How do pressure groups use legal action to influence policy?

Answer 29

Pressure groups may use legal action, such as judicial review, to challenge government decisions or influence policy outcomes.

Question 30

What is electioneering, and how do pressure groups use it?

Answer 30

Electioneering involves pressure groups influencing elections by endorsing candidates who support their interests or running political campaigns or advertisements.

Question 31

What role do pressure groups play in UK politics?

Answer 31

Pressure groups play a critical role in UK politics by representing a broad range of societal interests and trying to influence public policy through various methods based on their type, relationship with the government, and political context.