U1- Pressure Groups Flashcards
What are pressure groups?
Groups of individuals who come together through a common belief or passion to put pressure on the government to
Introduce
Abolish
Or change something
They are formed by like minded people who feel passionate about an issue and have the aim of protecting or advancing their shared interest
What are the 2 main types of pressure groups?
Cause groups, and interest groups
What are cause groups?
They generally campaign to raise awareness of specific causes
They can campaign on behalf of other people who cannot campaign for themselves e.g. Shelter
Or they can attempt to influence public opinion for example Greenpeace pressures the government to create a greener world
What are interest groups?
They work to promote a particular interest, often to advance the economic or professional status of their members such as the British Medical Association
What is an insider pressure group?
A pressure group which is regularly consulted by government departments.
These contain experts in their fields such as the BMA
They may even be consulted by government in the law making process and so they can have great power and influence on legislation
They are in a privileged position as a result of their expertise and specialist knowledge
What is an outsider pressure group?
A group with no access to parliament.
They try to persuade public opinion to their point of view through activities such as demonstrations and petitions.
The government may listen to them as a result of concerns that the group may influence large swathes of the electorate.
They continually lobby government and some use professional lobbying organisations, and some try to seek pledges from candidates at elections. This strategy is used by pro life groups for example
Do pressure groups enhance democracy? Give 2 positive arguments
They allow for greater participation in the political process, this is good as participation in the formal political process is dwindling
Election turnout is low as is political party membership so pressure group participation enhances democracy in the U.K.
Do pressure groups threaten democracy? Give 2 positive arguments
They are self appointed and the public cannot vote them out in elections, this is widely regarded as undemocratic
They are capable of forcing minority views as they are well organised and well structured and some carry out illegal methods to raise their profile and gain media attention
How can pressure groups impact on the political system?
The status of the group reflects their relationship with the government and affects the extent to which they can influence the political system
Insider pressure groups can influence government decision making.
Outsider groups however often mount campaigns to influence the public, government and media. While this type of pressure group behaviour may earn attention it often does not result in any sort of influence on government decision making. In fact illegal pressure group methods can often hinder the success of the pressure group in influencing government.
