Pressure Groups - prechewed questions

Question 1

What is a pressure group?

Answer 1

a group of like-minded individuals who seek to influence the public and/or the government policy and legislation for a particular cause or concern.

Question 2

What is a single-issue party?

Answer 2

A party who’s main aim is to resolve one specific issue. The people within the party all work together to achieve this goal, usually formed purely for protest voting.

Question 3

How are social movements different to pressure groups?

Answer 3

Pressure groups are a formal organisation with many members who share quite specific goals, whereas social movements are an unofficial network of people who support broadly similar goals.

Question 4

What are six functions performed by pressure groups?

Answer 4

Representation, participation, education, policy formation, implementing policy scrutiny/accountability.

Question 5

How can we classify pressure groups by their aims?

Answer 5

You can classify them as sectional or promotional groups, sectional groups aim to protect the interests of their members and have exclusive members. Promotional groups aim to promote issues and policies that don’t specifically benefit its members.

Question 6

What is a problem with classifying pressure groups by their aims?

Answer 6

Some groups can function as both sectional and promotional groups. Sectional groups sometimes promote and campaign for issues that don’t directly benefit its members but also effect the people outside the group.

Question 7

What is the main difference between insider and outsider groups?

Answer 7

Insider groups have easy access to and regular consultation with the government, the government usually take advice from these groups as they have specific expertise that they use to make form policies, the groups work effectively within parliament procedure. Outsider groups do not have this direct access to the government so have to use different methods to be noticed by the government particularly through the media, such as protests and online petitions.

Question 8

What is the problem with classifying pressure groups according to their status?

Answer 8

Their status isn’t fixed - it can change over time especially with a change in government.

Question 9

What are three different types of insider groups?

Answer 9

Core insiders, specialist insiders, peripheral insiders

Question 10

What are three different types of outsider groups?

Answer 10

Ideological outsiders, outsiders by necessity, potential insiders.

Question 11

What is corporatism?

Answer 11

The broad term used when governments work closely with pressure group elites, particularly business groups, to make important decisions without the voters.

Question 12

What is the difference between a green paper and a white paper?

Answer 12

Green papers - government document that sets out various different ideas and options for a bill - designed to provoke debate and outside input.
White papers - government document that sets out more concrete intentions for an upcoming bill - still invites comment and outside input.

Question 13

What is the difference between policy communities and policy/issue networks?

Answer 13

policy communties - a community of people submit new policy changes to local authority, for improving the community.
policy networks research into political science to find out the links between government sections, to find out about the process of policy-making.

Question 14

What is secondary/delegated legislation?

Answer 14

legislation that allows the Government to make changes to a law without needing to push through a completely new Act of Parliament.

Question 15

What is a ballot bill?

Answer 15

In the House of Commons, twenty backbench MP’s are selected by ballot voting to introduce bills.

Question 16

What is an intervention?

Answer 16

individuals and 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 to reach a more informed decision.

Question 17

What are supranational issues?

Answer 17

Issues that go beyond one countries boarders and are debated by multinational political unions where power is delegated to an authority by the government’s member of state.

Question 18

What is the ‘revolving door’?

Answer 18

the movement of people between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulations.

Question 19

What are six factors which can significantly affect a pressure group’s chance of success?

Answer 19

finance, support (membership, Human Resources) opposition from other pressure groups, status (recognised by the government/the media, specialist expertise), methods - government may be reluctant to give direct action. How much it opposes government policy, (are the government in a position to ignore the pressure groups campaigns?)

Question 20

What is Functional representation?

Answer 20

Function provided by pressure groups when representing specific sections and social groups in the society, not just set geographical constituencies.

Question 21

What is hyper pluralism?

Answer 21

The term used when there are so many groups objecting to the government’s plans that it struggles to function effectively.

Question 22

What are ‘access points’?

Answer 22

The term used for the various people and places that pressure groups target to apply pressure for their desired changes.

Question 23

What is the difference between primary and secondary pressure groups?

Answer 23

Primary groups - spend most of their time working to represent the interests and views of their members.
Secondary groups - occasionally take political action, but primarily offer services for members (that are likely why many joined).

Question 24

What is ‘clicktivism’?

Answer 24

The derisive term used to describe political action on social media that does not necessarily show genuine political engagement or awareness.

Question 25

what is the difference between pluralist and elitist theory?

Answer 25

Elitism - The view that, despite the appearance of open competition, power is concentrated in the hands of a small number of powerful individuals and groups.
Pluralism the belief that power should be dispersed and fractioned, to improve legitimacy and stop elitism.

Question 26

What is a select committee?

Answer 26

a small legislative committee appointed for a special purpose, as they have specific expertise to deal with this matter.

Question 27

What is the tyranny of the minority?

Answer 27

The concern that self-interested minority groups can pressure the government to put their needs above the national interest.

Question 28

What is indirect lobbying

Answer 28

asking the general public to contact legislators and government officials concerning the issue instead of conveying the message to the legislators directly.

Question 29

What is direct action?

Answer 29

The use of violent or non-violent protest to immediately achieve political or social aims, rather than going through traditional, official methods.

Question 30

What is a post-materialist society

Answer 30

A society that has reformed to understand the modern culture, and has transformed its individual values into autonomy and self-expression.