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11 Cards in this Set
- Front
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The Nature of Pressure Groups |
1. Try to influence decisions as opposed to make the decisions themselves 2. May seek to influence not just the decisions themselves but also the details of those decisions and even their implementation - Health and Social Care Act of 2011-12, Groups campaigning on the issue of NHS Reform, such as the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing, failed to stop the legislation but campaigned for amendments to the bill to ensure that it maintained the principles of a free health service in the UK 3. Most operate on a relatively narrow range of issues - Often this may be a single issue, such as that of Plane Stupid which campaigns against the expansion of airports, or Justice for Gurkhas in 2010 who fought for the right of Gurkhas (who are natives of Nepal who have traditionally fought in the British Army) to have the right to settle in Britain after retirement - Some multi issue groups may embrace a whole range of related policies. Trade Unions, for example, campaign on behalf of workers, not just in terms of their wages but also pension provision, health and safety, conditions of labour, and social security rights 4. Operate at different levels of government - Policy bodies, ministers and civil servants at the very early stages of policy development - The Westminster Parliament - Devolved bodies - Local government - European Union levels when it comes to issues such as agriculture, fisheries, and trade 5. Sometimes operate in the law courts - If a policy is being implemented a pressure group may go to the courts of they feel that a section of society is being discriminated against, or if they feel a policy is not being implemented fairly such as with the February 2012 Ravat v Haliburton Supreme Court case where trade unions claimed protection from unfair dismissal extended to British workers employed overseas. Which was successful. |
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Functions of Pressure Groups |
Involvement at all stages of the policy and decision making process helps to inform government itself and ensures that the interests and views of sections of the public are taken into account; - The National Farmers Union help to shape agricultural policy May help individual MPs and peers who are trying to promote private member's legislation; - Groups from the music industry supported action in the House of Lords which led to the Live Music Act in 2012, making it easier for music to be licensed to small venues Represent sections of the public or the best interests of the whole community; - Age UK represent the interests of the elderly Pressure groups help to educate and inform the public about politically important issues; - Friends of the Earth publicise environmental issues Provide a less intensive but more relevant opportunity for political participation than political parties do; - Taxpayer's Alliance organise online petitions, enabling people to make thier views known without any major commitment Help make government accountable and responsible; - They try to make government more responsive to popular demands Scrutinise legislative policy proposals suggesting how they may be improved or amended to make them fairer or more effective; - BMA and RCN on NHS reform Tension release; - Allow for a release of feelings from significant sections of society that doesn't result in violence |
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The Distinctions Between Pressure Groups and Parties |
Parties seek to achieve governmental power and pressure groups do not; Parties must be responsible for all the policies they propose; - Greenpeace for example campaign against GM food crops because they believe such developments are dangerous and environmentally unsound. But the benefits in GM foods include long term solution s to poverty in some developing countries. Greenpeace can safely oppose GM crops without having to be accountable for the fact that its opposition might condemn millions of people to starvation. Governments however have to weigh up benefits against risk Parties have to adopt policies across the full range of government responsibilities, pressure groups have much narrower concerns; Pressure groups that offer candidates are not political parties as they do not seek power, only representation and publicity; Parties have to behave responsibly as they are accountable and expect to seek election, pressure groups do not accept the restrictions of potential government. In some cases they break the law or undertake acts of civil disobedience |
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Blurred Lines Between Pressure Groups and Parties |
Some pressure groups put up candidates for election; - CLEAR 2010 candidates merely to raise the profile of the issue of cannabis prohibition Some single issue parties look a lot like pressure groups; - It could be said that the BNP was little more than an anti immigration pressure group Some pressure groups do adopt a wide range of policies; - Trade Unions A few pressure groups are closely associated with parties - Many trade unions have close thinks with the Labour Party |
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Type Classifications of Pressure Groups, |
Sectional/Interest Groups; - Represent one section of society such as The National Farmer's Union Cause/Issue/Promotional Groups; - Seek to promote a cause rather than the interests of its members, such as Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth Dual Function Groups; - Both sectional and cause based such as the Countryside Alliance that represents people who live in rural areas but also campaigns for a better quality of life in the countryside which supposedly affects us all New Social Movement - Broadly based, fairly informal movements that emerge around a particular issue. They are characterised by mass demonstrations and media campaigns that are designed to create maximum publicity and to put political pressure upon decision makers. Examples of which could be the Occupy Movement, or Plane Stupid |
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Method Classifications of Pressure Groups |
Insider; - One that has succeeded in becoming part of the decision making process. They take part in the development of policy through contact with Ministers, MPs, Peers and, official committees. They are regularly consulted by Government. The Confederation of British Industry is a good example of such a pressure group which reports on how businesses are operating and what its attitudes towards issues such as business taxation, employment regulations, trade, and economic policy in general. The National Farmers' Union is an example of a pressure group that has a permanent seat on a government policy committee or agency. Outsider - One that has no special links with government but seek to influence decision making by mobilising public opinion. They either prefer to remain outside the governing process in order to preserve their independence and freedom of action, like Greenpeace for instance. Or they would like to be insiders and have not been invited into the governing process, like the Association of British Drivers |
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Democratic Features of Pressure Groups |
Educating and informing the public about important political issues; - Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Representing groups interests; - The Automobile Association (AA) represents the interests of motorists Provide opportunities for political participation; - 38 Degrees makes it simple for people to participate in a wide variety of campaigns, local and national Protecting the interests and opinions of minorities; -Health groups such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society try to protect the interests of those suffering particular diseases Acting as a safeguard against the power of the state; Dispersing power more widely; - Gives politically active parts of the population access to decision makers which is particularly effective when considering mass membership groups such as Age UK or unions representing public service workers |
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Undemocratic Features of Pressure Groups |
Some groups wield more influence than their place in society warrants; Some groups have influence simply because they have large financial resources available to them; Insiders have influence at the expense of outsiders; Digitalised democracy carries a variety of dangers; - Misinformation in online campaigns is easy - May give the impression that a cause has widespread support, when it is a reflection of internet users, rather than true supporters - Excessive influence form the 'mass population' may not be well informed Some groups leadership may not represent accurately the views of their members, they may be undemocratic internally; Pressure groups cannot be made democratically accountable for what they do and propose; Wealthy, influential groups may give influence to elites rather than their wider memberships |
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Methods of Pressure Groups |
Parliamentary methods; - Some groups pay retaining fees to MPs in return for which they will raise relevant issues as much as possible in parliament - All the large pressure groups have MPs who are committed to representing them in parliament - Pressure groups can seek to gain leverage in amending laws in the House of Lords, which can promote new legislation. The amendments to the Equality Act allowing exemption of Christian churches in discriminating against gay people was achieved by a coalition of Christian churches. Live Music Act 2012 was a Lords Private Members Bill Direct Action; - Pressure groups may seek to obtain the highest level of publicity for the cause as possible to mobilise support - Father4Justice have dressed up as 'super-heroes- and placed themselves in positions where they will attract media attention - Greenpeace destroying GM crops and teh Animal Liberation from freeing animals from experimentation laboratories or by threatening laboratory workers - The Occupy movement set up camps on various parts of the UK to protest against the excesses of capitalism and the financial world (St. Pauls Cathedral) Mobilising public opinion; - If pressure groups can demonstrate to leaders that their intersts command widespread interest among voters then leaders are forced to listen such as with Age UK in the 2005 General Election pushing hard on issues such as the sixe of the pension, council tax rebates for the elderly, etc - Plane Stupid has been very successful in mobilising public support through educating about the dangers of increasing air transport |
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Why are Some Pressure Groups More Successful than Others? |
Philosophy; - Where a group's beliefs and aspirations are similar to that of the government of the day, success is very likely Taxpayer's Alliance campaign to reform the welfare benefits system to take pressure off taxpayers led to the radical Welfare Reform Act of 2012 Finance; - Pressure groups often make party donations and can use the funds available to them to increase their cause Size; - Large pressure groups generally have more influence due to having a large sections of the voters as members such as Age UK who are a large pressure group who represent pensioners 70-80% of which generally vote yet this doesn't help trade unions Organisation; - The ability of a group to organise successful demonstrations, to raise its public profile and persuade its members to take visible action is very important. Plane Stupid, the Countryside Alliance, Occupy, and Greenpeace are all examples of movements that have been successful because they have been well led and have captured the imagination of the public and the media Opposition groups; - Where groups don't have opposing pressure groups there is a greater chance of success, when they do it becomes a battle of wills. ASH and the Tobacco Industry and FOREST (pro smoking) Insider Status; - Insiders such as CBI are more likely to get their views heard than outsiders Celebrity Involvement - Joanna Lumley campaigned on behalf of Gurkhas, rio Ferdinand tweeted his opposition to the NHS Reform Bill 2012 |
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The Changing Nature and Activities of Pressure Groups |
Participation; - Political awareness has been shifting from party politics to pressure groups which have higher membership than ever before and party membership is on 0.8% of the electorate whereas it was 4.12% in 1980 Access Points; - Pressure Groups now have more access to the political process than ever before as decision making is now spread over a much wider range of institutions. This process has four facets, the importance of the European Union, the devolution of powers to national regions, the growth of policy making bodies outside the traditional party system, mobilisation of public opinion via the media and/or the internet, and the increasing importance of the courts as a result of the passage of the Human Rights Act 1998 The European Union; - The growing jurisdiction of the European Union has meant that pressure groups have had to switch many of their activities to the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions, the Social and Economic Committee, and various other Union institutions. in 2010 there were 4400 accredited lobbyists attached to the European parliament - Pressure groups have also had to unite with their European Counterparts if they are to exert effective pressure. So we have seen the development of an increasing number of 'federated' groups across Europe Friends of the Earth Europe being a good example of which Devolution; - Policy areas that have been devolved such as health, education, transport, planning, industrial development, agriculture, and local government services. Pressure groups that are involved in these policy areas have had to move some of their operations to Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast Extra-party institutions; - As there has been a growing number of external think-tanks, policy units, private advisers, and working parties that have the task of feeding policy options into the government machinery pressure groups have had a vital interest in becoming involved in the early stages of policy consideration. The main way in which they achieve this is by employing professional lobbyists whi undertake the task of identifying the key decision makers, securing contacts with them, and ensuring that the information that a pressure group wishes to spread finds the right targets The Human Rights Act; - By applying to the courts minority groups are now able to seek judgements that protect them from oppressive legislation as the ECHR introduced a wide range of rights into UK law, many of which were designed to protect minorities. Liberty has been especially active in this judicial field as have environmental groups Direct Action; - Many groups now feel they can exert the most pressure on government by mobilising public opinion rather than pursuing direct links with policy makers. There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that modern governments are responsive to mass political movements. The Countryside Alliance and the Conservative Government's plans to repeal the Fox Hunting ban highlight this Digital Democracy; - Pressure Groups now rely heavily on the internet for publicity, gaining support, and placing pressure on decision makers. The downing street e-petitions site gives direct access to the centre of power, other e-petitions can put pressure on MPs to debate important issues, it is possible to initiate and organise campaigns quickly and efficiently using the internet, networks can be built up to reach all interested parties, and virtually all pressure groups now use th interntet to reinforce their activities |
