Pressure groups - differences and similarities to parties

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Pressure groups - differences and similarities to parties

Similarities

  • Range of policies: some pressure groups do formulate policies on a range of areas, e.g. trade unions
  • Election: parties put candidates up for election who are seeking to gain power, some pressure groups also put candidates up for election, e.g. CLEAR presented candidates in the 2010 election to raise the profile of their campaign to legalise cannabis (they are still not seeking power - just to raise the profile of their cause)
  • Association: some pressure groups are very closely associated with political parties so it can be difficult to distinguish between them, e.g. Unlock Democracy campaigns for constitutional reform is closely allied to the Lib dems and trade unions have a strong link with the Labour party
  • Targeted/single issue parties: some single-issue parties look very much like pressure groups and target mainly a single issue, e.g. BNP - essentially anti-immigration organisation, some parties do begin as pressure groups and retain their main focus, e.g. UKIP - began as an anti-European Union pressure group and the Green party began as an environmental campaign organisation

Differences

  • Governmental power: parties are seeking to achieve power (as governing party/in coalition), pressure groups do not seek governmental power and if they do, they must turn into a political party, although some pressure groups put candidates up for election, this is just to gain publicity and representation - not power
  • Responsibility: parties must accept responsibility for all policies that they propose and be accountable, pressure groups will never be in power so do not have to be accountable, giving them more power - ASH campaigned for a smoking ban in public places but did not have to consider the loss of revenue for the government
  • Range of policies: parties must form policies on a full range of governmental responsibilities as they are aiming for governmental power, pressure groups focus on a single issue
  • Restrictions: parties are accountable and seek election, therefore they have to behave responsibly, pressure groups however do not have these restrictions and can break the law or undertake acts of civil disobedience

Overall comparison

Overall, they are mostly quite different, however they do appear to be similar in some ways and can begin as one and turn into another..- outline two differences between pressure groups and political parties (5)- why is it sometimes difficult to distinguish between pressure groups and political parties? (10)

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