Pressure groups (unfinished) Flashcards
What are the three types of pressure groups
Sectional groups
Cause groups
Social movements
What is a pressure group?
groups together and united by a cause
What is a sectional group
promotes the interests of a particular section of society. e.g. BMA
Give an example of sectional groups
Trade unions
Give an example of a sectional group protesting
In 2016 7 junior doctors took a day off to go on strike against the health secretary (Jeremy hunt)
Their slogan was “trust our doctors not our spin doctors”
What are cause groups
represent a segment of society but their primary purpose is noneconomic & usually focused on promoting a particular cause or value
Give an example of a cause group
Campaign for nuclear disarment - CND lobby the govt don’t have insider status but outsider status
Pressure groups can have either _______ or ________ status
Insider
Outsider
What are insider groups
Links with the govt , work closely to create policy
What is an example of an insider group
National union of farmers
What are outsider groups
Not consulted by the govt & employ extreme methods to garner awareness and get public support/media coverage
What are social movement groups
a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one
Give an example of a social movement group
2003 ‘stop the war’ - trying to stop Blair from getting involved in the Iraq war
What did the recent conserv govt pass in regards to protest law
Priti Patel passed anti protest laws - these enable protesting as long as they don’t disrupt the status quo
Give reasons as to why some pressure groups have more influence than others
- winning publicly over change in govt policy (attractive to the public/more media coverage)
- hard to detail insider success
- methods of communication - can determine how popular a PG is e.g. 2016 38 Degrees group collected 321,437 online signatures - land registry
- public opinion (how pop a PG will be depends on public opinion/political climate at the time )
- RESOURCES
- TACTICS AND LEADERSHIP
- PUBLIC SUPPORT
What is an example of a PG effectively using methods of communication
2016 38 Degrees group collected 321,437 online signatures - land registry
Give an example of a PG effectively using their resources (members etc)
RSPCA 1600 people = money for advertising/large membership - not always helpful CND 110,000 members not as known
Give an example of PG’s having effective tactics and leadership
Experienced leadership = RSPCA ban on hunting with dogs 2004 / access points = friends of the earth used EU law to pressure the govt to pressure the govt to ‘clean up beaches’
What are access points (TACTICS)
The places which PG’s go to exert influence
What is an example of PG’s effectively using public support
Snowdrop 1996 - used celebrities to advocate their cause
What was snowdrop 1996
- The campaign to ban private ownership of handguns
- took its name from the only spring flower in bloom at the time of the mass shooting.
- The leaders of the action organised a petition of more than 750,000 signatures.
What is a think tank
a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems.
Give two examples of think tanks
Conservative free market thinking - Adam Smith institute
Centre for social justice - Iain Duncan Smith - work & pensions sec
PG’s are an alt source to ____ ______ and have more t___/e_______ than political parties
Civil service
Time/expertise
