Revision notes on pressure groups

• An ‘insider’ pressure group has access to the process of policy formulation.
• Insider groups tend to have a low profile and don’t appear in the headlines often
• E.g CBI have significant access to government and influence on policy and don’t appear in headlines often.
• Outsider groups have limited/no access
• Outside groups use the media to gain attention and try to make headlines and have high profiles.
• E.g. Plane Stupid: Leila Deen throwing custard on Mandelson.

Distinguish between a pressure group and a social movement.

• Labour party and various trade unions are part of wider labour movement

What is pluralism?

• Theory of distribution of power is widely and evenly dispersed in society
• Not concentrated in hands of elite or ruling class
• Positive view on pressure groups – promote healthy debate and strengthen democracy
• No pressure group is dominant and all have a measure of political influence
• Citizens are represented through their membership of organized groups.

Medium Questions

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

• Many small political parties have a narrow issue focus similar to pressure groups, e.g. BNP primarily concerned with issues of race and immigration
• Some pressure groups use elections as a tool as a way to gain publicity even when they know they wouldn’t win.
• E.g. Legalise Cannabis Alliance in 2005 contested 21 constituencies but gaining at most 1.8% of the vote in 1 constituency.
• Parties and pressure groups may form part of larger social movements, such as the green movement being composed of Green Party and a wide range of environmental pressure groups

Why has the distinction between interest and cause pressure groups been criticised?

• Some pressure groups have sectional and promotional characteristics.
• E.g. UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS appears to be a sectional group, but also carries out promotional activities linked to public health and education
• Single pressure group may include members from both sectional and promotional motivations. E.g. the campaign against a 3rd runway at Heathrow.
• Includes people locally, but people concerned about pollution
• Some pressure groups mask their sectional motivations by adopting stance of a promotional group. Moral + altruistic concerns carry greater weight with public.
• BMA exists to protect doctors, but its spokesmen speak in terms of public health and NHS.

Why may some pressure groups choose to remain as outsider groups?

• Reflection of the radical nature of a group’s goals
• Fear of becoming domesticated by being too closely involved with government
• Recognition of fact that outsider strategies, like petitions and demonstrations are most likely way of engaging potential supporters
• For example massed activism such as the fuel blockade in 2000 by the People’s Fuel Lobby.

How and why do pressure groups seek to influence Parliament?

• Provide a mouthpiece for groups and interests that are not adequately represented through the electoral process or by parties
• This is because groups are focussed mostly on individual issues, meaning they can effectively articulate a specific point. E.g. CSA on hunting
• Seek to influence by

1. Ministers and civil servants
2. Parliament
3. Political parties
4. Public opinion
5. Direct action

How do pressure groups use political protests to exert influence?

• Form of direct action – though it’s not illegal
• They aim to cause disruption and inconvenience
• Lets the government know that there’s a significant amount of people out there who support a specific issue
• By pressuring the government or certain companies, they may feel that they should give in to their demands
• But many believe protests are useless, they have already been moved out from the “corridors of power” and onto the street
• Their demands and wishes have already been ignored/heard
• Nowadays, many view political protests as a waste of time, pointless and a waste of tax payer’s money in order to police them.
• Civil disobedience, e.g. the recent protests in London during the G20 summit, RBS being smashed up

Explain factors that affect the power of pressure groups

• Wealth – financial and economic power, thus all governments must seek their cooperation
• Size – can claim to represent public opinion + more money. But not always, CBI stronger than TUC even though less members.
• Government’s views – needs to be sympathetic with government’s aims
• Organisation and leadership – leaders can bring number of advantages and organisation helps mobilise resources effectively. E.g. Shami Chakrabati, Liberty
• Popular support – the more people, greater the political influence generally. However, Stop The War campaign marches in 2003 failed. Governments measure by how much electoral damage caused by NOT acceding to demands
• Effectiveness of opposition – groups invariably clash with others, e.g. anti-hunting groups vs. CSA.

Why is it sometimes difficult to assess the power of pressure groups?

• Assessing power = how successful each group is.
• Difficult to assess how successful each pressure group is
• But can be interpreted through 3 different ways

• Affecting government policy
• Pushing an issue up the political agenda
• Changing people’s values

• Also, debate over whether pressure groups widen the distribution of power, spreading it across the people
• Or whether they concentrate power, strengthening the already powerful.
• A.K.A: Pluralism vs. elitism.

Explain the growth in the number and size of cause groups in recent years

• Over half the cause groups in existence have been created since 1960
• Membership of many leading pressure groups dwarfs that of parties
• RSPB has over 1 million members, membership larger than combined 3 major parties
• Due to the appeal of the “new politics”, characterizes by greater political activism and the spread of grass root participation
• New types of political participation such as cyber activism have helped recruit many more members through things such as e-petitions and easy to access information
• Emergence of access points such as the Human Rights Act 1998 and devolution has meant there are more ways for pressure groups to try and exert influence.
• Globalisation has also strengthened and increased the number of pressure groups, in particular for business related groups
• Has led to emergence of NGOs such as World Development Movement
• 1992, 2400 NGOs took part in Earth Summit