Pressure Groups

Pressure Groups

functions of pressure groups
1. inform and educate public
2. represent groups of the public
  1. or represent communities best interests
3. support mp's with similar ideas to the group
4. improve quality of policies
5. tension release
  1. none violent way of getting opinions heard
different types of pressure groups
1. sectional groups
2. cause, issue or promotional
3. dual function
  1. both sectional and cause based
  2. eg countryside alliance
4. insiders
  1. eg. CBI
5. ousiders
  1. eg fathers 4 justice
6. new social movements
pressure groups in a democracy
1. offers education
  1. can make political decisions for themselves
2. increases reprensation
3. minority interests shown
4. power more spread out
  1. makes democracy more pluralistic
5. influence
  1. richer PG have more
  2. not down to propotion
6. digial influences
  1. give impression of widespread support
  2. decisions can be made by missinformed
7. more oppertunity for political participation
8. celebrity involvement
  1. eg rio ferdinand 2012 nhs reform bill
  2. 2009 joanna lumley gurkhas rights to settle in uk
methods
1. lobbying
2. parliamentary
  1. getting mps to raise it in house of commons
3. direct action
  1. demonstrations
    1. srikes
      1. eg teachers strikes 2014 march 26th over pay, pensions and conditions
4. mobilising public opinion
why are some PG more successful
1. organisation of PG
2. insider status
3. opposition groups
  1. PG with no opposition are usually more successful
changing nature of PG
1. Participation
  1. party membership fallen=PG membership increased
2. access points
  1. PG groups can now influence EU, National regions, policy making bodies outside party system, media, courts
    1. eg EU. euorpean automobile manufacturers, friends of earth europe
    2. devolved power-scottish , welsh, nthern ireland governments
3. extraparty insitutions
  1. getting involved in the early stage of policy making
    1. empolyment of professional lobbyists
4. human rights act 1998
  1. minority PG can now exert more pressure
5. direct action
  1. mobilising public opinion easier so insider groups dont have as much advantage over outsider
6. digital democracy
  1. e-petitions
  2. campaigns organised quickly

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	Created by 07b007 almost 11 years ago