retrieval questions

Question 1

What is a pressure group?

Answer 1

• A group of people that through political campaigning seek to influence government policy

Question 2

What are the key functions of pressure groups?

Answer 2

• encourage participation outside of elections
• hold the government accountable/ scrutinise
• educate the public and provide them with access to influence decision making

Question 3

What is a sectional group?

Answer 3

• represent a particular section of society, membership is ‘closed’ as it consists of only them
• members benefit directly if successful

Question 4

What is a cause group?

Answer 4

• representing a particular cause/issue, membership is open to anyone that supports the cause

Question 5

Give three examples of sectional groups?

Answer 5

• BMA (British Medical Association), CBI (Confederation of British Industry), NFU (National Farmers Union)

Question 6

Give three examples of cause groups?

Answer 6

• CAAT (Campaign against arms trade)
• Just Stop Oil
• RSPB

Question 7

What is a peak or ‘umbrella’ group? And give one example.

Answer 7

• A group that speaks for groups with a similar interest
• TUC (Trades Union Congress)

Question 8

What is an insider pressure group?

Answer 8

• Groups that have a close relationship with decision makers
• Often get consulted when new laws are made
• Groups can move from inside to outside depending on who is in government

Question 9

Give three examples of insider pressure groups?

Answer 9

• BMS
• CBI
• RSPCA

Question 10

What is an outsider pressure group?

Answer 10

• Groups who have little contact with decision making
• Could be close with the opposition and potentially be insider
• Could be too small, underfunded or unpopular to gain influence

Question 11

Give three examples of outsider groups

Answer 11

• Just Stop Oil
• CAAT
• Fathers for justice

Question 12

What do we mean by the term ‘traditional methods’ of pressure groups?

Answer 12

• signing petitions
• writing letters
• organising marches

Question 13

What are some less traditional methods of pressure groups?

Answer 13

• Publicity stunts
• Vandalism
• Social media campaigns

Question 14

What is a think tank?

Answer 14

• Public policy research groups with a political position
• Doesn’t tend to do public campaigning
• Carries out research on policy and releases publications and holds conferences

Question 15

Give three examples of think tanks?

Answer 15

• ASI (Adam Smith Institute)
• Resolution foundation
• IEA (Institute of Economic Affairs)

Question 16

What is a lobbyist?

Answer 16

• Either a company providing lobbying services
• Or a team of people paid by a company to act as ‘in house’ lobbyist
• Carry out contact work with ministers/ decision makers on behalf of their client

Question 17

Factors that influence pressure groups success?

Answer 17

• Income
• Size
• Organisation/ tactics
• celeb endorsement
• Public opinion
• timing of campaign

Question 18

Ways pressure groups improve democracy?

Answer 18

• Checks and balance on executive power
• Provide scrutiny of decisions made in parliament
• Opportunity for minority groups to influence politics
• encourages participation outside of elections

Question 19

Ways pressure groups can be bad for democracy?

Answer 19

• insider groups enjoy privileged access to decision makers
• Governments will only listen when they agree, can just ignore them
• Minority may have too much influence and governments can make policy that doesn’t represent the people
• may spread misinformation rather than educate

Question 20

What are natural rights?

Answer 20

• An idea of universal, god given rights
• Locke ‘life, liberty and property’

Question 21

What are positive rights?

Answer 21

• Explicitly given to citizens

Question 22

What are negative rights?

Answer 22

• Not explicitly given but there because of an absence of a law saying you can’t

Question 23

What are individual rights?

Answer 23

• Belong to a person regardless of characteristics
• applies to all citizens

Question 24

What are collective rights?

Answer 24

• Rights that belong to a group (gay rights)
• Or a group in an organisation (worker’s rights)

Question 25

What is the Magna Carta?

Answer 25

- Document issued in 1215 and was the first document that set out the limits of the King's power

Question 26

What is common law?

Answer 26

- law that developed over many centuries - Rights which have been made through judgements in the courts and enforced in lower courts through a system of judicial precedent

Question 27

What is statute law?

Answer 27

- Laws passed by parliament may guarantee rights

Question 28

What was the Humans rights act?

Answer 28

- Incorporated the European Convention of Human Rights into UK law - Allows citizens to seek legal redress through the UK courts if they believe they have been denied their rights - 1998

Question 29

What was the Equality Act (2010)

Answer 29

Sought to combine and extend existing UK legislation preventing discrimination against people - The law puts onus on organisations not just to avoid discrimination but to actively promote equality

Question 30

Name 3 pressure groups whose aims is to protect rights in the UK?

Answer 30

- Howard league for legal reform - Liberty - Amnesty international

Question 31

Strengths of rights protection in the UK

Answer 31

- Strong common law tradition - Human Rights Act are not entrenched so rights are not guaranteed - Parliament and Government pass laws that restrict rights of individuals and groups - Pressure groups are often ignored by decision makers

Question 32

What is a political party?

Answer 32

An organisation whose members share ideologies and agree on policy

Question 33

Identify 3 functions of political parties

Answer 33

- Representation, represent a certain group of society - Governing, seek to govern on a national or local level - Policy making

Question 34

Identify two features of political parties

Answer 34

- Broad policy of all areas of government - Internal democracy, structures to elect leaders - Proposed programme of government

Question 35

Name ways in which parties promote democracy

Answer 35

- Offering voters a choice of policy in elections - Allowing voters to participate in politics

Question 36

Factors of success of political parties

Answer 36

- Strong leadership wins elections (callahan was more popular than Thatcher but she won) - Image, are they unites, relevant, modern, competent? - Media, every party backed by the Sun has won since 1979

Question 37

Main sources of funding for political parties

Answer 37

- Trade Unions - Membership fees - Doners - Self funding candidates

Question 38

Where do the Conservative party get most of their funding?

Answer 38

- Rich individuals and corporations

Question 39

Where do the Labour party get most of their funding?

Answer 39

- Trade Unions and Member fees

Question 40

What is short money?

Answer 40

- State funding given to the opposition parties to help with their Parliamentary work

Question 41

What is Cranborne money?

Answer 41

annual payment made to opposition parties in the UK House of Lords to help with their parliamentary costs.

Question 42

Arguments in favour of state funding of political parties

Answer 42

- Reduces chances of corruption (cash for honours - Blair) - End possible 'hidden forms of influence' (Blair formula 1 adverts) - Gives smaller parties a better chance

Question 43

What are some left wing ideas?

Answer 43

- Redistribution of income - regulation of the markets - protection of workers rights - stress on state welfare as a means of greater equality

Question 44

What are some right wing ideas?

Answer 44

- free market capitalism - Limited role of the state - Low tax and state welfare - Hard stance on crime and punishment

Question 45

What was the name of the party before Conservative?

Answer 45

- Tory