Unit 1: Pressure Groups Questions

Question 1

What is a pressure group? (5)

Answer 1

1. An organised group of people that aims to influence the policies or actions of the government.
2. They seek to exert influence from the outside, rather than seeing to form a government.
3. Typically have a narrow issue focus, e.g. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds aims to secure a healthy environment for birds, and nothing else.
4. Members are united and have a shared belief.

Question 2

Outline two differences between a political party and a pressure group. (5)

Answer 2

1. Political parties seek to form government, pressure groups do not.
2. Members of pressure groups tend to have a shared belief, whereas within political parties there tend to be factions. e.g. Conservative party: Thatcherites, ONCs.

Question 3

Using examples, distinguish between sectional and promotional groups. (5)

Answer 3

1. Sectional groups tend to defend interests of a certain group of people and it tends to have closed membership and benefits the members. E.g. The teachers union, NUT, is only open to teachers and protects the interests of teachers.
2. Promotional group promotes certain causes, it has open membership and tends to benefit others or the wider society. E.g. RSPB of Friends of the Earth

Question 4

Using examples, distinguish between insider and outsider groups. (5)

Answer 4

1. Inside pressure group enjoys regular, privileged and usually insitutionalised access to government. E.g. CBI
2. Outsider pressure groups is either not consulted by the government, or is consulted very irregularly. E.g. Animal Liberation Front of Fathers4Justice.

Question 5

Outline two functions of a pressure group. (5)

Answer 5

1. Political participation: between 40 and 50% of the UK citizens belong to at least one pressure group.
2. Education: Much of what the public knows about politics it finds out through pressure groups. They often raise political conciousness through demonstrations, literature, etc.

Question 6

How do pressure groups promote functional representation. (5)

Answer 6

1. Functional representation is the representation of groups based on their function within the economy or society.
2. They do this through putting pressure on the government to protect interests of certain people e.g. NUT protects/defends rights of teachers.

Question 7

Describe two ways in which pressure groups promote political participation. (5)

Answer 7

1. 40-50% of UK citizens belong to a pressure group - gets them involved in putting pressure on the government to form certain policies.
2. Many pressure groups produce petitions to be signed and by signing those, people are participating in politics.

Question 8

What is meant by the term pluralism? (5)

Answer 8

Pluralism is a theory of the distribution of political power that holds that power is widely and evenly dispersed in society, rather than concentrated in the hands of an elite or ruling class.
Based on the assumption that:
1. Citizens are largely represented through membership of organised groups
2. All groups have a measure of political influence
3. No group can achieve a dominant position because other groups will always challenge it.
E.g. political pluralism refers to competition for power between a number of parties.

Question 9

What is meant by the term elitism? (5)

Answer 9

The theory that political power is concentrated in the hands of the few, an elite.

Question 10

Distinguish between elitism and pluralism. (5)

Answer 10

Pluralism and elitism are terms which make reference to the distribution of political power.

1. Pluralism refers to the theory that power is to an extent evenly distributed and not concentrated.
   - Pluralism has a positive view of pressure groups and considers a multiplicity of them to be good for the body politic.
2. Elitism believes power is concentrated in a narrow and exclusive grouping. Uneven distribution of power promotes unfairness in politics.

Question 11

What is the link between pluralism and pressure groups? (5)

Answer 11

Pluralism considers how power is distributed in society. Pluralism views that it is healthy to have multiple sources of power. Pressure groups are an integral part of this possible dispersal.

1. Pluralism requires minority representation, which is facilitated by pressure groups.
2. Pluralism accepts that some pressure groups will succeed and others will fail, this is an accurate reflection of pressure group activity. For example, PGs like Fathers4Justice have failed.

Question 12

What is pluralist democracy? (5)

Answer 12

It is a form of democracy which sees participation essentially via organised groups speaking up for a collective interest.

1. Pressure groups are seen to reflect this form of democracy and act as the agents for change in society.
2. There is a wide dispersal of power amongst competing groups and, in particular, there are no elite groups.
3. Government is neutral in the sense that it is willing to listen to any group or interest.

Question 13

What is the link between elitism and pressure groups? (5)

Answer 13

Elitism refers to the distribution of power in society and pressure groups exercise power in the political framework

1. Elitism suggests that some pressure groups may be more important or influential than others as power is unevenly distributed. (e.g. insider groups such as CBI have more of an influence on government decisions than outsider groups like Fathers4Justice)
2. It posits the notion that some groups will be excluded from the policy process as a consequence of their lack of power.

Question 14

Explain three political functions of pressure groups. (10)

Answer 14

1. Political participation: 40-50% of UK citizens are members of pressure groups
2. Education: Source of political education, but also source of knowledge on specialised issue e.g. RSPB will have lots of knowledge on current bird environments and Mhow to secure safer/better ones.
3. Representation: represent minorities who aren’t necessarily represented by the government.

Question 15

Why is it sometimes difficult to distinguish between political parties and pressure groups?

Answer 15

1. Some pressure groups put forward candidates in elections to raise awareness. Political parties put forward candidates to gain power. So both put forward candidates in elections which can be confusing.
2. Many small political parties resemble pressure groups in that they have a narrow issue focus. E.g. BNP is primarily concerned with issues such as race and immigration and Green party puts emphasis on environment - confusing because pressure groups do this.
3. Parties and pressure groups may form part of larger social movements. E.g. Labour movement incorporate Labour party and various UK trade unions.