Pressure Groups - what/methods Flashcards
What are pressure groups?
An association whose aims are to influence policy at a local, regional or national level without seeking power.
How can parties wish to yield political influence?
If they wish to yield political power, they become a party (how UKIP, Labour and Green Party formed).
What are the functions of a pressure group?
- Represent and promote issues of certain sections of the community, protecting minority interests.
- Aims to influence the government policy and calls govt to account if the performance on policy is considered inadequate.
- Allow citizens to participate in politics (representative democracy) other than voting.
- To inform and educate the public on political issues.
What are promotional groups?
- Seeks to promote a particular cause (broad or specific), converting the ideas behind the cause to legislation and governmental action.
- Can be about environmental issues or protection of greenery.
- Examples: Green Peace, PETA, Liberty and CND.
What are sectional groups?
- Represents a specific section of society with an identifiable membership.
- Concerned with their own interests OR member interests that benefits the wider community (teachers or doctors).
- Large cooperations can be influential due to their economic power and size (like Google) - qualifies as a sectional group. May resist legislation that may hinder them, for example coca-cola resting the reduced sugar in soda.
Examples: Age UK, Taxpayers Alliance and the MS society.
Argument of Pluralism
- Distribution of political power is widely and evenly distributed in society.
- Explains the importance of pressure groups - all sections of society gains some political influence, questions why govt only pays attention to certain groups that have economic and size influence.
- Links with those with outsider status.
Argument of Elitism
- Small minority of people dominate - economic elite - the policy planning network of a country.
- Insider status tends to gain the most influence in assisting political policy - representing the minority and as pressure groups are unelected it can be considered undemocratic.
What are insider pressure groups?
- Seeks involvement in policy and law making - consulted often by decision makers on various levels and by committees, offering expert advice and an opportunity to influence long-term.
- Employs professional lobbyist to gain access to decision makers and create high quality presentations.
- EXAMPLE = Stonewall and British Medical Association
What are outside pressure groups?
- Doesn’t typically hold special position within governing bodies, possibly because of them wishing to be independent from the Govt OR not associated with the Govt.
- Normally happens if they use violent methods.
- Usually are promotional groups - often no identifiable membership and has less certain legitimacy
What methods are typically used by outsider pressure groups?
+ Public campaigning - uses new media to reach the population quickly and seeks to influence by showing the mass public opinion that supports them.
+ Often doesn’t have lobbying or ministerial contacts.
+ Doesn’t need to act responsibly, compared to IG - often uses public disobedience, mass strikes and publicity stunts to garner attention. EXAMPLE = Just Oil and Extinction Rebellion.
Methods used by Pressure Groups: Lobbying
- Insiders who are regulars listened to by decision makers will sit on policy committees at a local, regional, national and even European level.
- Possibly able to influence the content of legislation, proposing or opposing amendments, if they sit on legislative committees.
- As parliamentary representation is critical; most MPs and peers promote group interests, raising issues in debate or lobbying ministers directly - James Oliver.
Methods = Public campaigning
- Groups without direct access to Govt often mobilises public opinion to promote themselves.
- Ranges from organising mass demonstrations to creating/publicising e-petitions, using celebrities to gain publicity or acts of civil disobedience (Insulate Britain, Fathers4Justice + Extinction Rebellion).
- EXAMPLE = significant campaigning by the NFU resulted in Parliament passing the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill in 2023.
Examples of public campaigning: Countryside Alliance
- Aim - among other issues, the restoration of fox hunting.
- Local and national larger-scale demonstrations.
Examples of public campaigning: British Medical Association (BMA)
- Aim - force the Govt to withdraw a new contract for junior hospital doctors in 2016-17
- Done by regular withdrawal of labour for routine operations and treatments.
Methods = Giving grants to partners
- Given to political parties as a means of finding favour for their cause and interest - aimed to influence policy.
- Trade unions have long financed the Labour Party.
- Many business groups and large companies send donations to all parties - mostly Conservatives.
