Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Pressure Groups
- functions of pressure groups
- inform and educate public
- represent groups of the public
- or represent communities best interests
- support mp's with similar
ideas to the group
- improve quality of policies
- tension release
- none violent way of getting opinions heard
- different types of pressure groups
- sectional groups
- cause, issue or promotional
- dual function
- both sectional and cause based
- eg countryside alliance
- insiders
- eg. CBI
- ousiders
- eg fathers 4 justice
- new social movements
- pressure groups in a democracy
- offers education
- can make political decisions for themselves
- increases reprensation
- minority interests shown
- power more spread out
- makes democracy more pluralistic
- influence
- richer PG have more
- not down to propotion
- digial influences
- give impression of widespread support
- decisions can be made by missinformed
- more oppertunity for political participation
- celebrity involvement
- eg rio ferdinand 2012 nhs reform bill
- 2009 joanna lumley gurkhas rights to settle in uk
- methods
- lobbying
- parliamentary
- getting mps to raise it in house of commons
- direct action
- demonstrations
- srikes
- eg teachers strikes 2014 march 26th over pay, pensions and conditions
- mobilising public opinion
- why are some PG more successful
- organisation of PG
- insider status
- opposition groups
- PG with no opposition are usually more successful
- changing nature of PG
- Participation
- party membership fallen=PG membership increased
- access points
- PG groups can now influence EU, National regions, policy making bodies outside party system, media, courts
- eg EU. euorpean automobile manufacturers, friends of earth europe
- devolved power-scottish , welsh, nthern ireland governments
- extraparty insitutions
- getting involved in the early stage of policy making
- empolyment of professional lobbyists
- human rights act 1998
- minority PG can now exert more pressure
- direct action
- mobilising public opinion easier so insider groups dont have as much advantage over outsider
- digital democracy
- e-petitions
- campaigns organised quickly