What is sectional pressure groups?
Represent the interests of a particular group within society
What is an outsider group?
- have little or no access to government decision making
- tend to use methods that appeal directly to win public support and apply pressure to government indirectly
What is a cause group?
Promote a particular issue, members can be drawn from across society
What is an insider group?
- Has privileged access to government decision making
- often meeting with ministers and senior civil servants
What is a pressure group?
an association whose aim is to influence policy making at a local, regional national level without actually seeking power
What is a connection between insider methods and accountability?
If you have evidence and you make it publicly known, you are holding government accountable
Make a connection between insider methods and representation?
They represent the public directly to the government
Name three methods used by insider groups?
- working with ministers
- working with parliament
- working with political parties
Name three methods used by outsider groups?
- engaging the public
- using technology
- using the courts
What is the difference between an ‘in house lobbyist’ and ‘PR firms’?
- in house does not have to be registered as lobbyists
Examples of sectional pressure groups?
- national union of students
- national education and union
- BMA - British medical association
- RSPB
Examples of cause pressure groups?
- CBI
- Insulate Britain
- Friends of the Earth
- Campaign against the Arms Trade
Pros of pressure groups
- equalities act 2010 was due to PGs
- increases participation between elections
- gives minorities a voice
- hold governments accountable
- informs the public and governments
How can pressure groups be bad?
- not internally democratic
- worries that governments only listen to the rich internal groups
- issues with the revolving door
- issues with think tanks
- inequality of voice
pressure groups enhancing democracy?
- Educates the public, stimulates healthy discussion
- Alternative way for public to participate, without aligning with a party
- defends the rights of the minority
- accountability of the government
How does pressure groups not enhance democracy?
- Tyranny of the minority
- Empowering the powerful, insider groups vs outsider groups
- revolving door
- lack of internal democracy
Examples of pressure groups dominating the system, tyranny of the minority
2012, British Bankers Association had held meetings with officials working for government ministers
- these meetings were not recorded as they were not with actual ministers
Examples where pressure groups have just empowered the powerful, inside vs outside
- National Farmers Association (NFA), interests of farmers
- Extinction rebellion (XR), promotes a plant based diet
- NFU is a group with inside links and therefore is much more likely to influence legislation
Examples of revolving door
- 2017, former chancellor George Osborne accepted a job as an editor of the evening standard
Examples of pressure groups stimulating debate and providing information
- British pregnancy Advisory service (BPAS) - pro choice
- Right to Life UK - pro life
- plethora of information provided
Examples of pressure groups representing the minorities
- August 2021, protests were held outside downing street by hundreds of trans and non binary people, pushing for full reform of the Gender Recognition Act
- Equalities Act 2010 was due to the work of many pressure groups
Examples of pressure groups holding governments accountable?
- July 2020 Boris Johnson pledged to ban conversion therapy
- A year later, after a petition signed by more than 250,000
- campaigners piled on the pressure to the government for not acting quickly enough
- If campaigns by pressure groups gain enough traction it can be difficult for the government to ignore
BMA successes
- pressured government to improve PPE for healthcare worker during COVID
What type of group is BMA
Insider
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basics15
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Participation/ turnout56
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Key terms30
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Pressure groups36
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Think tanks9
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Rights19
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Lobbying11
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Political parties100
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Elections45
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referendums19
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Constitutions42
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Executive19
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Socialism14
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retrieval questions46
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USA 12 markers10
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US Consititution3
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Parliament13
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US interest groups37
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US congress52
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Nationalism2
