Pressure Groups influence on elections 6.6 Flashcards
how do pressure groups play an influence on courts
AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF
US Supreme court plays a much more prominent role in legislative politics than in the UK
how do pressure groups play an influence on lobbying
- gain attention for their policies resort to demonstrations or direct action, rather than lobbying
- massive corporations do the lobbying stuff
what are the 5 methods used by US and UK pressure groups when it comes to legislating
- direct action and demonstrations
- legal methods
- electioneering
- lobbying
- publicity
how do UK and US pressure groups differ on ‘access points’
US = separation of powers and federalism create a multitude of power centres.
UK = only insider groups can influence the government.
how do UK and US pressure groups differ on ‘weak parties’
US = legislative politicians are more influenced because president is basically untouchable
UK
- Collective responsibility / strongly accountable to political leaders
- Interest groups know it will be difficult to persuade individual MPs to vote against the party line.
how do UK and US pressure groups differ on ‘rights protection’
- higher rights protection in US than in UK (with supreme court)
- supreme court in UK are npcs
how do UK and US pressure groups differ on ‘frequency of elections’
- Electioneering is far more intense in the US
- very very unlikely to get through to all of the MPs
what is the RATIONAL APPROACH of individual voters
- US = greater ability to act rationally/ frequent elections and pursue their own interests than in the UK.
what is the CULTURAL APPROACH of individual voters
- UK = more prominent party unity / US = more divided between branches
what is the STRUCTURAL APPROACH of individual voters
- separation of powers, the number and frequency of elections, and the location of sovereignty all have an impact on their relative influence.
what is the RATIONAL APPROACH of ‘level of rights protection’
- campaign finance regulations makes it Politicians and donors act in a self-interested way
what is the STRUCTURAL APPROACH of ‘level of rights protection’
- US = more choices in elections to excercise freedom and rights
- UK = just for parliament
