Pressure Groups (race to 100) Flashcards
Define pressure groups in contrast to political parties
Organisations which seek to influence policy-making and decisions focused on achieving their objectives for a specific cause/ further the rights of a specific group of people in society
They differ from political parties as they do not compete for power and instead seek to influence those with power
Explain the difference between insider/ outsider pressure groups
Insider = pressure group with close government ties, they tend to be powerful, well-resources and/ or offer specialist knowledge to the government when drafting legislation.
There are different types of insider groups: core insiders (long standing bilateral relations with the government such as NFU), specialist insiders (used when specific knowledge is required), peripheral insiders (rarely needed and highly specialised such as the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society), and prisoner groups (publicly funded so can’t escape insider status)
Outsider = lack depth of government connection that insider groups have
There are different types of outsider groups: potential insiders (want to be insiders but lack connections), outsiders by necessity (groups with law breaking strategies or with a marginal policy such as Just Stop Oil and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament respectively), and outsiders by choice (deliberately won’t cultivate relationships with government to maintain independence such as Liberty)
Explain the difference between sectional(interest)/ causal(promotional) pressure groups
Sectional = primarily exist to defend and advance the interests of its members, they tend to have closed off memberships as you have to be a member of the profession to join, for example the RMT Union
Causal = more focused on a particular cause or issue, they argue to be campaigning on behalf of other/ all people, particularly the less able to campaign for themselves. Membership is more open for example RSPCA
Give an example of an insider pressure group who lost their status
The BMA (British Medical Association) tend to be an insider group during a Labour government, they failed to persuade the government to reverse course on new doctor’s contracts in 2015 (Conservative government) which led to strike action which is more associated with outsider groups
4 most significant reasons for pressure group success
1) Insider status
2) Strategic position e.g. teachers and medical professionals (necessary for the economy)
3) Size
4) Organisation
Explain why cause/ insider status are so key to the success of pressure groups
Insider status is important as the end goal of a pressure group is to influence government policy, as such it is much easier to accomplish this if your ideas align with the current government’s policies
Cause is important as representing a popular cause will boost the size of the pressure group which will be able to put further pressure on the government
Explain why Extinction Rebellion have been unsuccessful whereas the CBI have been successful (up until March 2023)
Extinction rebellion is an outsider pressure group which is a key factor in determining success, however maybe more significantly they lack public support as they use disruption tactics (blocking roads, invading sports events etc) which annoys the public
CBI on the other hand are an insider group which means they have direct involvement with the government so can push their ideas with greater ease. Also they represent a large amount of a strategic industry, they represent nearly 1/3 of the private sector employed workforce and 190,000 businesses giving them leverage over the government
What is meant by pluralism and how does it link to pressure groups?
Pluralism or a pluralist democracy refers to the idea that there are multiple means by which different groups and sections of society can have their voices heard and they have opportunities to influence government at all levels
Political parties, social media and pressure group activity are the main components of a pluralist democracy
This links to pressure groups as they enable sections of society to voice their opinions
Why can pressure groups be argued to be elitist?
Elitism refers to a small minority being able to dominate policy planning
Pressure groups can be argued as this because big groups can influence government policy for a small section of society
Why can pressure groups be argued to be elitist?
Elitism refers to a small minority dominating policy making
This can be argued for pressure groups are groups with a large amount of influence can change policy for a small section of society
Give an example to show that pressure groups enhance the representation of the marginalised
Shelter provided legal representation for Timon Ncube who was refused local council support in Brighton and Hove City to find accommodation due to his immigration status, they won the case in March 2021
Give an example of when a pressure group have not presented both sides of the argument (national interest and the issue of the pressure groups focus)
When the 2010-2015 Conservative government pursued a policy of austerity made public spending cuts to reduce the national deficit (a part of its manifesto). However unions resisted these cuts through strikes such as a 2014 strike of NHS workers and a 2013 Fire Brigade’s Union strike, despite it being in the national interest
Explain how pressure groups can help in the case of a participation crisis in the UK
Pressure groups provide a form of participation during a time where formal means of participation are on the decline. They allow people to voice their opinions to the government between elections. It provides a form of participation between elections as most people only participate in politics during elections
Explain the impact that lobbying has on democracy in the UK giving examples
Lobbying is a way to directly contact MPs in order to voice your opinion and attempt to sway policy. This provides another way for sections of society to have their opinions heard by the government. For example the Raptor Alliance wants to protect racing pigeons, lobbyists made its cause known in Parliament by encouraging an All Parliamentary Group for Pigeons.
