What factors determine the influence of promotional interest groups?

by junwei77 (student)

INTRODUCTION

Promotional interest groups make an effort to promote a particular cause, and for this reason also known as cause or attitude groups. Promotional interest groups are not self-interested in that the achievement of their objectives is not necessarily of direct professional or economic benefit to the members of the group. Examples of promotional/cause interest groups are Shelter, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Greenpeace.

Cause interest groups lobby governments to favour their particular cause or issue. Some are set up for a particular purpose and then fade away or reinvent themselves, while others continue to promote their original concerns.

Because cause groups aim to promote a cause - which might potentially be supported by everybody, regardless of their profession or economic position - membership is not usually restricted. However, that does mean that cause groups have or want to have a large membership. Some cause groups have few members but a great deal of influence. For example, Liberty - a group with 5,000 members - put pressure on the Labour Party, in opposition and in government, to make the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law a priority. On the other hand, some cause groups have many members but little influence.

Cause groups can be subdivided according to the aims they pursue. Sectional cause groups aim to protect the interests of a section of society. Attitude cause groups aim to change people’s attitudes about a particular issue or policy.

One of the most significant factors affecting the influence of a promotional interest group is what constitutes success? However, there are certain areas which will affect the success of pressure groups.

This essay will analyse the factors influencing Promotional interest group power in terms of their own organisation, their relationships with decision making bodies

and their relationships with public opinion which in turn are influenced hard by their relationships with the financial situation and mass media .

Relationship with decision making bodies

It is argued that the relationship between promotional interest group success and the government or other authorities, such as councils or European Union, is essential for promotional interest group’s success. However, outsider pressure groups, for example, CND, cannot influence the legislation because they are not involved with the legislative procedures. It is because of the ‘unreasonable’ demands, or violent/illegal approaches of protest.

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Relationship with decision making bodies

The organization of a cause group will affect powers in those interest groups. The ones that are well-supported, well-funded and well-led have more chance to be valid. A large membership will be more efficient and more effective with their activities such as writing to the media or press, spreading leaflets, meeting local councilors or taking part in demonstrations. Governments can recognize the importance of such a group, because the members in large membership are voters in election. And they can decide the fate of the government. Moreover, large membership and particularly high membership density can increase the typicality and legitimacy of the promotional interest group. They can assist interest groups to acquire insider status. However, sometimes, small local pressure groups are significant as well when they concern with issues like local hospital or local education. These issues are of importance, which makes the small local pressure groups are equally important with the large membership groups.

Large pressure groups want to get involved with political campaigns on nation-wide basis. Those activities will require large amount of funds to employ experts and administrators. Funds are also needed for advertising through mess media. Larger pressure groups also need knowledgeable and authoritative leaders, who have the ability to deal with governors, civil servants, and people from the press. All of those parties can help large pressure groups to motivate current members and attract new members.

However, when outsider interest groups campaign on an publicly support issue, such as the opposition to Poll Tax, they would not be able to have significant influence over government policies. Anti Poll Tax Federation has adopted outside interest groups’ aim, but might not have supported the methods from outside interest groups. This was one import reason that led to resignation of Mrs Thacher in 1990. In addition, although the Anti-War Coalition did not stop UK from getting involved in the Iraq War, their activities did have attribute to Tony Blair’s earlier resignation and UK army’s withdrawal from Iraq.

Relationship with the Media/Public

The influence of mass media may be significant to the effectiveness of the cause group activities. If the promotional interest groups are supported by the media, it will get supported by the public. And this put more pressure on the government and other authorities or decision makers. Because the government has to pay attention to the opinions of the general public for their next election, getting support from the media will help promotional interest groups to get support from the government. Government did not want to go against public opinions. For instance, if the Labour Government (1997) had refused to pass the amendment to the firearms act for the 4 years of their first term, which is proposed by Snowdrop; it would result in significant pressure to their removal from office. This suggests that mass media and public opinion are very important to the success of a pressure group, especially when the pressure group has important information to disclose to the public. Without the support from the media, pressure groups would not be able to gain power from the public. In addition, celebrities can also help the pressure groups for their success. For example, the Bob Geldof campaign has successfully used the celebrity to convey ideas and information to the public. From this example, we can see that celebrity leadership is very power to boost the public images of the pressure groups and promote their success.

Pressure groups have to consider the possibility that the political biases existed in some sections of the mass media. And what is considered to be worthy by the media might not be the same as what is considered to be important by the pressure groups. Sometimes, pressure groups have to choose unconventional publicity stunts, large demonstrations in order to get enough publicity, however, this sort of activities might have negative and unfavorable mass media coverage, which raises bad publicity and loss in the public support.

The power of individual pressure groups might be decreased when they their aims and methods are opposite to the government, unsympathetic political parties, pressure groups, mass media or public opinions. For instance, pressure groups are more likely to receive oppositions from a different political parties or forces when they represent prisoners, asylum seekers, because these groups are more controversial in public opinions. There are a few new ideas and voices are produced during the public debate over law and order in the early 2000s. The Sensible Sentencing Trust proposed for longer sentences for people who are committing perpetuate crime. This enables victims of crimes to have more input into court proceedings before sentencing. This proposal is proposed in 2001. However, in 2006, Rethinking Crime and Punishment was set up to consider more rehabilitative and positive prison practice.

Furthermore, it is argued that some relatively small interest groups can also have impact and influence on government policy. These small scale interest groups might concern with issues like abortion, gay rights, smoking and health, and animal welfare. Also some environmental pressure groups can challenge the business practice for environmental issues. They are able to change the dominant position of big corporations.

Financial Factors

Financial factor is another important element that can affect the success of pressure groups. This does not only relate to if the pressure groups have access to enough funds, it also consider the pressure group’s ability to exercise financial power. A pressure group is more likely to be successful when it have the ability to exercise financial ‘sanctions’. The September 2000 fuel protest is an example of this. This protest has resulted in a reduction in fuel tax, because of the pressure that government faced. The availability of the funds are also essential to the success of the interest groups. Without sufficient funds, pressure groups would not be able run campaign successfully. For instance, the campaign of Make Poverty History, would be successfully risen people’s awareness of poverty if there was not enough money to help during the procedure of the campaign.

Conclusion

In conclusion , there are four factors determine the influence of promotional interest groups . First, something is important by a particular that is the the degree of legitimacy achieved .Second, membership of a promotional interest groups is also crucial for its influence. "This is a matter of density and commitment as well as sheer numbers."（Hague,R）.Third, the financial resources support to a promotional interest group make significant influence .Lack of money may hold a group back but a surfeit does not make certain political success. Which is also considerable is the ability of a group to invoke sanctions .

The success or failure of pressure groups depends upon the conditions of influence . There are, however, certain factors which can lead to success or failure. In contrast, the most important would be the relationship with decision making bodies. Without a good relationship a pressure group is unlikely to be able to reach any meaningful success.

REFERENCE

Hague, R. and Harrop, M. Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction, Ch. 12

G. Bingham Powell, et al. Comparative Politics Today: A World View (10th Edn), Ch. 4

Grant, W. Pressure Groups, Politics and Democracy in Britain

Ball, A. and Peters, B., Modern Politics and Government Ch. 7.

T. Bale, European Politics: A Comparative Introduction Ch. 8.

Peele, G., ‘Pressure Groups in the USA’, Politics Review, Vol.12, No.4 (2003)

Robert Garner, Peter Ferdinand and Stephanie Lawson. Introduction to Politics (2009) Part 2