Pressure Groups
Short Questions
What is a pressure group?
* A pressure group is an organisation which seeks to influence public policy in relation to a particular issue.
* Pressure groups tend to have a narrow issue focus and are bound together by shared interests or a common cause.
* An example would be the CBI which represents 150,000 business and helps to influence government policy.
What are the functions of pressure groups?
* Representation
* Political participation
* Education
* Policy formulation
* Policy implementation.
Outline 2 differences between a political party and a pressure group
* A political party seeks to win power at various levels via elections like Labour, whereas pressure groups seek to influence those in power e.g. Make Poverty History.
* Generally pressure groups focus on a single or narrow range of issues e.g. Countryside Alliance wanted to legalise hunting
* Whereas political parties have to fight elections on a whole range of issues, released in the form of their party manifestos.
Outline, with examples, 2 types of pressure groups
* Promotional: a group that promotes causes, generally with moral concerns "for" people
* Open to anyone and benefits all of society, such as Amnesty International which seeks to protect human rights everywhere, thus helping everyone.
* Sectional: a group that protects causes, generally with material concerns and a group "of" people
* Benefits only its members and open only to those who meet criteria, e.g. CBI open to businesses, which protects only business interests.
Outline 2 differences between insider and outsider pressure groups.
* An 'insider' pressure group has access to the process of policy formulation.
Short Questions
What is a pressure group?
* A pressure group is an organisation which seeks to influence public policy in relation to a particular issue.
* Pressure groups tend to have a narrow issue focus and are bound together by shared interests or a common cause.
* An example would be the CBI which represents 150,000 business and helps to influence government policy.
What are the functions of pressure groups?
* Representation
* Political participation
* Education
* Policy formulation
* Policy implementation.
Outline 2 differences between a political party and a pressure group
* A political party seeks to win power at various levels via elections like Labour, whereas pressure groups seek to influence those in power e.g. Make Poverty History.
* Generally pressure groups focus on a single or narrow range of issues e.g. Countryside Alliance wanted to legalise hunting
* Whereas political parties have to fight elections on a whole range of issues, released in the form of their party manifestos.
Outline, with examples, 2 types of pressure groups
* Promotional: a group that promotes causes, generally with moral concerns "for" people
* Open to anyone and benefits all of society, such as Amnesty International which seeks to protect human rights everywhere, thus helping everyone.
* Sectional: a group that protects causes, generally with material concerns and a group "of" people
* Benefits only its members and open only to those who meet criteria, e.g. CBI open to businesses, which protects only business interests.
Outline 2 differences between insider and outsider pressure groups.
* An 'insider' pressure group has access to the process of policy formulation.