1.4: Pressure Politics

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PRESSURE POLITICS PRESSURE POLITICS organised groups seeking to exert influence on government. PRESSURE GROUP an organisation that seeks to advance or defend a particular interest or cause, while not seeking to form a government or part of a government. often used interchangeably with 'interest group'.

  • work to raise awareness within the public of a specific issue they represent in order to pressurise political parties to show more concern.
  • Two types:
    • SECTIONAL GROUPS
      • represent particular sections of the community.
      • typically have closed membership.
      • also, often seek to support members in other ways too.
      • Police Federation, Law Society.
    • PROMOTIONAL GROUPS
      • often called causal or issue groups.
      • exist specifically to influence policy.
      • aren't interested in material advantage of members.
      • Greenpeace, anti/pro-abortion campaigns.

  'INSIDER' GROUPS pressure groups that are consulted when government departments are preparing new proposals.

  • three types (according to Wyn Grant who created the idea of the insider/outsider groups):
    • 'prisoner' groups - groups that are dependant of government support, such as Third World charities which depend on government finance.
    • low-profile groups - groups that work closely with a particular department of the government, such as the UK Chamber of Shipping which works with the Ministry of Defence.
    • high-profile groups - such as the CBI (Confederation of British Industry).

  'OUTSIDER' GROUPS pressure groups that aren't consulted when government departments are preparing new proposals.

  • three types:
    • those lacking in political skills to become insiders, such as those who use strident/extravagant language.
    • insider groups that seek credibility through media campaigns / meetings with ministers or civil servants.
    • ideological outsider groups that don't want to be an insider because they want to challenge their values and authority.

There are discussions open about whether insider and outsider groups are truly democratic.   REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT

  • aka representation through the 'ballot box'.
  • electives affecting government, with MPs who represent them.

'FUNCTIONAL'/'GROUP' REPRESENTATION based on group interests, involves organised pressure to achieve political ends.

  • pressure groups are the organised way of carrying it out.
  • legitimises specific groups and confers upon them legal rights and the authority to speak for others.

 

  • some argue that pressure groups and ^ aren't democratic:
    • some p groups are more powerful than others and have more influence over the government.
    • only some members of the community are represented by them.
    • p groups that represent a small proportion of population can exert disproportionate influence on government.
  • however, for a democracy, p groups need to be tolerated for freedom of speech.

PLURALISM political system which allows a wide range of beliefs and ideologies to flourish.   P GROUP TARGETS

  • executive
    • insider p groups are often invited to express views on topics to exec, who are constantly looking for information during policy making.
    • there are now around 100 advisory bodies on which p groups have representation, such as the Central Housing Advisory Committee.
    • Civil servants consult insider p groups when drafting government legislation.
    • this means gov can't be criticised for not considering specialist views.
    • In economics, the influence of the CBI and

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