Pressure Groups & other influences (1.3) Democracy & Participation - UK Politics Flashcards
Pressure group
a group that tries to influence public policy or the government to adopt their ideas or not to adopt a policy of which they disapprove in the interest of a particular cause. They do not usually enter their own candidates at elections and do not seek to exercise power themselves.
3 main types of pressure groups
Sectional groups (interest groups) Cause groups (promotional groups) Social movements
Sectional groups
seek to promote the interests of an occupation or another group in society. membership is usually restricted to those who meet specific requirements.
Examples of sectional groups
Law Society (open to solicitors in England and Wales) Trade unions
Cause groups (or promotional groups)
Focus on achieving a particular goal or drawing attention to an issue / issues. Membership usually open to anyone sympathetic to their aims.
Can be standing up for a group who cannot stand up for themselves
Examples of cause groups
Green peace - tries to persuade government to adopt ‘green’ methods.
Shelter - housing charity standing up for homeless people
Social movements
Similar to cause groups but more loosely structured. Normally a specific protest. Politically radical and hope to achieve a single objective
Example of social movements
Camps for climate Action - created for short periods between 2006-2010 against expansion of Heathrow and other environmental issues.
Examples of pressure groups
The National Union of Teachers Campaign for nuclear disarmament Friends of the Earth The Road haulage association The Countryside Alliance Liberty Fathers for justice National Farmers Union Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 38 degrees Black Lives matter UK Amnesty
Insider groups
Rely on contacts with ministers and civil servants to achieve their aims.
Tend to have objectives broadly inline with government views.
High profile or low profile
High profile insider groups
Supplement their lobbying with use of media
Low profile insider groups
rely on discreet behind the scenes contact rather than publicity
Example of high profile insider group
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Example of low profile insider group
Howard League for Penal Reform
Example of insider group
group
National Union of Farmers - has close links with DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Offer specialised knowledge in return for influence over policy.
Outsider groups
Interest groups that enjoy no special relationship with the government and thus seek to press their case from the outside.
Objectives likely to be far outside the political mainstream (e.g. animal activists) and therefore unlikely to come into contact with government
Groups may also be objecting to something the government supports and therefore remains separate to preserve their independence
Examples of outsider groups
Occupy Movement - sees government as closely aligned to global capitalist movement which they are protesting against (therefore want independence from government)
Insider groups methods
Quiet negotiations
Trade knowledge for influence (E.g. NFU)
Lobbying of MPs
Outsider groups methods
Email campaigns
Petitions
Staging demonstrations
Publicity stunts
Example of demonstration of outsider group
Black lives matter UK September 2016 - obstructed flights at London city Airport to draw attention to their claim that ethnic minorities are disproportionally affected by pollution
Example of direct action not being peaceful
2010 student demonstrations against increased university tuition fees - some were prosecuted for disorderly conduct
PG initiating legal challenges
Expensive - group is likely to be well funded
Example of PG being both insider & outsider
British Medical Association (BMA) usually in insider. In response to Conservative governments determination to impose a new contract on junior doctors they supported strike action autumn 2016. Later called off support in concern for patient safety.
Factors affecting the effectiveness of pressure groups (x4)
Resources
Tactics & leadership
Public support
Government attitudes
Resources (as a factor effecting the effectiveness of pressure groups)
Large membership who pay subscription = financial resources.
Size = demonstrates large amount of support
Access to effective methods of communication
Example of PG with financial resources
RSPCA - employs about 1,600 people, has thousands of volunteers & can take full page advertisements in papers
Example of PG with size not being effective
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - had about 110,000 members however Thatcher government could ignore large demonstrations and rely on passive support from rest of the population
Example of PG having access to effective means of communication
September 2000 - rising petrol prices.
2016 - 38 degrees collected 321,437 online signatures to help persuade government not to privatise the Land Registry
Tactics and Leadership (as a factor effecting the effectiveness of pressure groups)
Experienced, capable leadership is vital to success.
Knowing which access points to target
Using the EU
Public support (as a factor effecting the effectiveness of pressure groups)
PGs whose agenda is in step with public opinion are usually more successful than those whose objectives fail to engage it, or whose methods alienate potential supporters.
Media coverage
Well-known celebrity
Example of PG with large public support
Snowdrop campaign - ban the use of handguns. Successful because of the public reaction to the 1996 Dunblane Primary School Massacre (gunman killed 16 children & their teacher)
Example of PG with a well-known celebrity as the face of their campaign
Joanna Lumley’s support for retired Gurkha soldiers helped overturn a government ban on their right to live in the UK
Government attitudes (as a factor effecting the effectiveness of pressure groups)
Insider contacts are often key to success as governments will often listen to groups on which it relies for specialist knowledge of a policy area & with whose agenda it can see common ground
Example of PG with insider contacts and favourable government attitudes
National Farmer’s Union’s links to DEFRA helped bring about badger cull of 2013 despite wishes of animal welfare groups who advocated vaccinations as more humane.
Other collective organisations and groups
Think tanks
Lobbyists
Coporations
Think tank definition
A body of experts brought together to investigate and offer solutions to economic, social or political issues. Alternative source of ideas to civil servants. Some have definite influence on government policy. Think tanks are typically staffed by young, ambitious individuals who see their time there as a springboard to a political career
Example of think tanks influencing government (x2)
Centre for policy studies & Adam Smith institute influencing Conservatives towards a shift towards a more overtly free-market-orientated approach in 1970s (under Thatcher)
Centre for Social Justice set up by Ian Duncan Smith in 2004 to look for new solutions to the problems of people living in disadvantageous communities. 6 years later as Work and Pensions Secretary IDS was able to implicate a few ideas - notably the universal credit plan that seeks to reduce the dependence of poor people on welfare benefits.
Example of politician using think tank as a springboard for a political career
David Miliband worked in centre-left Institute for Public Policy Research and became advisor to Blair and eventually a senior minister
Lobbyists definition
members of professional organisations who are paid by clients to seek to influence government or parliament on their behalf, particularly when legislation is being considered
Parliamentary code of conduct
Prohibits MPs from accepting money for agreeing to represent a viewpoint (lobbyists problem)
Corporations
Prohibits MPs from accepting money for agreeing to represent a viewpoint (lobbyists problem)
Example of corporation lobbying the government
October 2016 - British Softs Drinks Association expressed its opposition to a planned tax on sugary drinks - however government continued with policy
What are the three different types of insider groups?
Core insiders:
- Work closely and regularly with the government across a broad range of issues
Specialist insiders
- Consulted on particular issues where specialism is required
Peripheral insiders
- Participates as insiders but with very little influence
What are the three different types of outsider groups?
Ideological outsiders
- Differences in ideological views make it impossible to work with the government
Outsiders by necessity
- Lack the skills & knowledge to become an insider
Potential insiders
- Groups lacking the necessary support and experience
What are the problems with categorising pressure groups by their status?
Many groups often adopt both insider and outsider tactics
e.g. BMA is a core insider group, working closely with the gov’t – but in 2012 it took its first strike action for 40 years to protest against changes to doctors pensions
What is the difference between green and white papers?
Policy committes – small and stable group of gov’t officials and interest groups that have a shared interest in a particular policy areas – difficult for others to join. – may include interest groups, ministers, etc
Policy networks/issue networks – much looser and larger groups including a larger number of pressure groups. Also academics and think tanks – likely to be more disagreement within the network over policy decisions
What is secondary legislation? Why might pressure groups be interested in it?
Secondary legislations are the rules and regulations made by the ministers and other public vodeis under powers given by an act of parliuament
Used bc it isn’t always practical to include every minute detail in an act of parliament, and bc some flexivility is needed
What are ballot bills? Why do groups try to influence them?
MPs wishing to introduce a private members bill can put their name forward, and 20 names care drawn at random in a ballot held at the beginning of each parliamentary year
In reverse order these 20 mps are given priority to timetable their ballot bills for debate, with the final name given top priority
- Pressure groups will often target these mps
What are interventions?
Individuals/organisations who are not involved in a court case but are interested in its outcome; can submit additional information that they think will help the judges reach a more informed decision
What happened in R v Secretary of State
R v Secretary of State for the Home department where the 1997 Police act undermined the right to privacy, Liberty and EHRC both intervined, saying it undermined Article 8 of ECHR – SC Court agreed, law was soon changed
How can groups use prosecutions to achieve their aims?
RSPCA has no legal enforcement powers, but collects evidence and brings private prosecution against individuals who harm animals
Why has lobbying the EU become a more attractive option in recent decades?
Bc of Doctrine of Supremacy – EU law replaces any conflicting national laws
As of 1986 - decisions made in the council of eu have increasingly used qualified majority voting
An example was Europeans for Fair roaming – campaigns against expensive international mobile phone charges
Example of e-democracy providing more opportunities for outsider groups
38 degrees launched ‘save the forest camapign’ after they found out gov’t wanted to sell public forests
- 500,000 signed petition, 100,000 ppl contacted local mp
- Gov’t announced they put their plans on hold
How important is the existence of an organised opposition?
Very
Trade union congress represents 54 unions and 6 million workers but its recommendations are usually in conflict with the equally powerful CBI – representing 190,000 businesses
Why are human resources also very important?
Larger membership base gives the group greater legitimacy – makes certain methods – like strike action – more effective
- Pressure groups that are more active would hold the gov’t active (i.e PG representing elderly would be more successful than PG representing youth)
- Same with BMA (Representing all doctors) in comparison to NUT, where there are 3 main teachers unions; divided membership undermines legitimacy and requires greater cooperation and coordination
Argument that direct action/protests have worked?
Direct action can have arguably more long-term indirect success – arguable that subsequent PMs have been more reluqtant to order militart intervention without strong public mandate, same can be seen with extinction rebellion tbh
Why is the internal democracy of many groups an issue?
Why is the internal democracy of many groups an issue?
Many pressure groups are not particularly democratic – unelected leaders make many of the important decisions – few members are actively involved unite the union – election for general secretary in 2017 was 12% of membership
What are ‘cheque-book members’?
What are ‘cheque-book members’?
Vast majority of pressure group members are ‘cheque book members’ focusing on their own thing
Primary pressure groups
primary goal is to represent interest and views of members, whilst their secondary goal (ie not that important to them but they do a bit of it) is providing some services to members – e.g. Trade unions
Secondary pressure groups
primary goal is to provide servies to members, whilst their secondary goal is representing interest and views of members – e.g. AA – offer breakdown services but also offers car lobbying
How can the education provided by pressure groups be questioned?
Selective exposure – can be made by legt wing voters only exposed to left wing pressure grous
- Pressure groups can do up lies or misrepresenting the facts/failing to tell the full story - e.g. think tanks like SETA - turkish
What is clicktivism?
Retweeting hashtags and signing e-petitions could end up oversimplify important issues
What is a pluralist democracy?
open and fair competition between all political parties and pressure groups
- So many groups are competing against each other that no single group is able to become too powerful
Pluralist theory
- Power is fragmented and dispersed
- Large number of pressure groups all freely compete with equal opportunity to influence
What is the ‘revolving door’?
Movement of retired ministers and civil servants hired as lobbyists to lobby their former colleagues
Policy commitunities and issue networks make important decision before they even reach parliament
- Pressure groups lobby the executive instead of public opinion/parliament bc of large majority
Elite theory
- Power is worryingly concentrated, restricted to a small number of pressure groups
Most wealthy and well-connected individuals and groups have the resources and status to more effecrively lobby making it easier to protect interests and status
How could pressure groups actually reinforce, rather than challenge, political inequality?
E.G. the resources required to effectively lobby access points like the EU ( Kurdish solidarity campaign vs SETA) Research suggests that members of pressure groups are disproportionately middle class (e.g. more time/money can be spent than working class) – abundance of middle class groups can skew the political debate of poorer minority groups
How can pressure groups help limit the power of government?
- Parliamentary select committees regularly consult a wide number of pressure groups due to their expertise, giving evidence on the impact of government policy
- Many groups have taken legal action when the government has acted ‘ultra vires’
Why did Douglas Hurd describe pressure groups as “serpents that strangle efficient government’?
Strikes/protests/ media campaigns/civil disobedience slow down the legislative process
The uk is a representative democracy – democratically elected representatives should decide policy, not ‘self-selected activists’ such as trade union leaders or big businesses
Powerful pressure groups are left unaccountable
What is the tyranny of the minority?
What is the tyranny of the minority?
‘Pressure groups often give voices to minority, rather than majority, groups
- Small group of wealthy insiders force the government to put their minority interest before the broader national interest
- ‘
How does the electoral mandate won by the government in recent decades affect the scrutiny role of pressure groups?
Can a government claim a strong mandate when 30% of total electorate backs the tories (2019)
2010 UK student protests caused significant disruption, but there was a mandate for these reforms when the Lib dems had promised to oppose them in the camapign
