success of pressure groups is determined by methods Flashcards
tactics and strategy
-pressure groups with effective strategies tend to have more success in the system, effective tactics include donations and lobbying
-financial services industry remains powerful by doing such, 2010s corporate tax was cute from 28-18%
-for non-establishment groups, social media is very important,clicktivist campaigns can be very important e.g. Rashfords free school meals campaign
tactic and strategy evaluation
Ultimately, power is highly centralised in the Westminster system. If powerbrokers are unsympathetic to a pressure group’s aims, they are likely to be unsuccessful. Even commonly effective strategies – by establishment insiders such as the CBI, IOD and the financial services industry – failed to stop the UK from leaving the EU. Ergo, we can conclude that in a political system of competing interests and power brokers, insider pressure groups cannot always shape policy.
receptivity
-it is vital that political actors in the system are receptive to the ideas and arguments of pressure groups
-due to being single minded seekers of reelections MPs are receptive to changes in public opinion, campaigns well received (gay marriage) create incentives for politicians to act e.g. Cameron being lobbied by Stonewall
receptivity evaluation
Elite groups and corporations don’t tend to concern themselves with public opinion.they focus on capturing government and key power brokers in Parliament.via party funding(£5.6m from Big Business for the Conservatives in 2019)lobbying(Cameron-Greensill Affair)second job offers(Owen Patterson Affair)funding thinktanks and pressure groups corporate elites can exercise a disproportionate degree of influence in the system. Despite public opinion being against tax cuts for corporations during the 2010s, corporate tax was cut from 28% to 18%.
achievability
-to be successful the aims of a pressure group must be practical and achievable
-politicians control the law and tend to adopt pragmatic,non-polarising views on issues
-radical pressure groups cannot be successful in the short term e.g. extinction rebellion’s wanting of reform to the capitalist economy
-groups with open ended goals tend to be more successful in raising public awareness of an issue rather than fundamental transformation of public policy
achievability evaluation
‘Radical’ groups can succeed in the long run. Stonewall’s ambition of marriage equality was viewed as a distant dream in the 1980s, but decades of campaigning led to a gradual change in receptivity by the public, which in turn, encouraged MPs to act.
material resources
-most powerful lobby in UK politics,financial services industry,effectively has unlimited financial resources, it employs three main methods:funding political parties, use of professional lobbying firms such as that involved in the Cameron-Greensil affair, and funding of neoliberal thinktanks
material resources evaluation
Although influential, we should not overstate the influence of money in politics. To illustrate, pressure groups such as the Confederation of British Industry and the Institute of Directors both opposed leaving the European Union.But they were powerless to prevent the country from leaving. At one point, the PM Boris Johnson even said “f*** business” when informed about business concerns about Brexit. This demonstrates that leading politicians cannot be captured on some issues, particularly if the issue is central to their re-election.
