2. What is a pressure group ?
• “An organisation which seeks to influence decision-makers in relation
to a particular issue, or policy. Unlike political parties, pressure groups
do not stand for elected office”
• Minor parties such as the UKIP blur the distinction between a political
party, and a pressure group. Another example is the Green party, which
began life as a pressure group
• Over half of the 61 ‘new’ parties that registered with the Electoral
Commission in 2004 were, in all but name, single-issue pressure
groups (e.g. Respect)
• In some cases, a pressure group may also be closely related to a
political party (e.g. the terrorist group the IRA has close links to Sinn
Fein)
• There are various categories of PGs, such as;
– Insider / outsider
– Promotional / sectional
– Ad hoc / Permanent
Politics – Pressure Groups

3. Insider and outsider
• An insider pressure group has • By contrast, an outsider
close and regular contact with pressure group has little or no
decision-makers, and contact with decision-makers.
government ministers This is often due to ideological
disagreement with the
• An example of an insider government of the day
pressure group is the National • For example, the Animal
Farmers Union, who have Liberation Front are considered
always had a close working so extreme that no mainstream
relationship with the Ministry of political party would bring them
Agriculture into the political process
• An insider group is also likely to • Another example of an outsider
lobby MPs. Some Trade Unions pressure group is the anti-
even ‘sponsor’ Labour MPs globalisation movement
• Outsider groups tend to take
direct action, which can at times
be illegal
Politics – Pressure Groups

4. What determines the status of an insider pressure group?
• Which of the two main political parties is in government can have a
major impact upon the status of a pressure group
• For example, Charter 88 have become an insider group since Labour
came to power. Under the Tories (1979 – 1997), they were very much
an outsider pressure group
• At the present time, the Countryside Alliance is an outsider group.
However, if the Conservatives win the next General Election, the
Countryside Alliance would almost certainly become an insider
pressure group
• Another factor to consider is the level of expertise offered by a
particular pressure group, which can award them ‘insider’ status (e.g.
the British Medical Association)
• Some extremist pressure groups have little or no opportunity to gain
insider status
Politics – Pressure Groups

5. Promotional and sectional
• A promotional (or cause) • The aim of a section pressure
pressure group represents, or group is to protect the interests
promotes, a specific cause of its members. As such, they
• Examples of promotional (or are sometimes described as
cause) pressure groups include interest groups
Friends of the Earth, and the • A sectional pressure group
World Wildlife Fund usually consists of members of
• Promotional pressure groups a particular occupation, or
are either concerned with a organisation
single-issue, or have a broader • The Confederation of British
long-term objective. The latter Industry, and the trade unions,
category includes think-tanks are both sectional (or interest)
such as the Institute for Public groups
Policy Research, and the Fabian
Society
Politics – Pressure Groups

6. Ad hoc and permanent
• Most promotional (or cause) • The most successful pressure
pressure groups are formed on a groups tend to be permanent
temporary basis, and disband once
• Most of the pressure groups you will
their cause has disappeared. For
example, a pressure group might be have heard of are permanent
set up in order to prevent the local • Examples of permanent pressure
council building a by-pass through a groups include the Campaign for
particular area Nuclear Disarmament, Shelter and
• Temporary (or ad-hoc) pressure the National Union of Students
groups are usually based on a
‘nimby’ mindset (‘not in my back-
yard’)
• Pressure groups often experience
division amongst their members,
and can therefore end up as merely
temporary groups (e.g. Fathers 4
Justice, which was disbanded in
2006)
Politics – Pressure Groups

7. What methods are used by pressure groups?
• All pressure groups aim to mobilise public support, and one
way to achieve this is via a demonstration (e.g. in 2003, 2
million people marched against British involvement in the
Iraq war)
• Pressure groups also aim to capture the public mood. For
example in 2005, many people wore white wristbands to
display their support for the Make Poverty History
campaign
• Pressure groups also seek the endorsement and
involvement of celebrities in order to raise public
awareness (e.g. Chris Martin of Coldplay has raised
awareness of the Make Trade Fair campaign)
Politics – Pressure Groups

8. What methods are used by pressure groups?
• An insider pressure group can directly contact government
ministers – which is by far the most effective method
available
• An outsider pressure group is more likely to resort to
protest. Some outsider groups might even use violence,
and terrorism
• When an outsider pressure group combines terrorism with
mainstream politics, they can often succeed in achieving
their goals. For example, the IRA and Sinn Fein have
pursued the “Armalite and ballot box strategy” with some
degree of success
Politics – Pressure Groups

9. What determines the success of a pressure
group? (1)
• Perhaps the most important factor is money, which can be
used in several ways (e.g. donating money to a political
party in order to gain preferential treatment)
• The level of public support for their actions (e.g. the Fuel
tax protestors in the year 2000 managed to force the
Chancellor to lower the level of petrol duty), and the level of
public awareness generated by their cause. For example,
the Snowdrop campaign gained widespread public
sympathy after the massacre at Dunblane
Politics – Pressure Groups

10. What determines the success of a pressure
group? (2)
• Support from top-ranking politicians can often help a PG.
For example, Gordon Brown’s decision to write off some of
the debt due from less-developed countries was partly
influenced by the ‘drop the debt’ campaign
• The receptiveness of organisations to hear their case. For
example, the European Commission has always welcomed
the involvement of PGs
• The receptiveness of decision-makers, and government
ministers, to a particular group. For example, Labour are
more receptive to trade unions, whereas Tory governments
are more willing to listen to PGs representing the business
community
Politics – Pressure Groups

11. What determines the success of a pressure
group? (3)
• The endorsement and involvement of celebrities can also
be a factor (e.g. Bob Geldof’s support for the Make Poverty
History campaign)
• The ability of a PG to gain media attention (e.g. Fathers 4
Justice dressed up as superheroes to highlight their cause)
• Some outsider groups use violence and terrorism in order
to achieve their aims, which can have an effect upon public
policy. Even the threat of direct action can have an impact
upon decision-makers
Politics – Pressure Groups

12. What determines the success of a pressure group? (4)
• The extent to which their expertise is required by the
government. One of the reason why some pressure groups
gain insider status is that they can provide expert advice to
ministers, which in turn helps the government to draft
legislation
• The extent to which a pressure group is united, and the
extent to which a group can claim to speak on behalf of its
profession. For example, the BMA can claim to represent
the overwhelming majority of GPs
Politics – Pressure Groups

13. What determines the success of a pressure group? (5)
• Events and circumstances can also enhance the salience
of certain PGs. For example, the issue of climate change
has given environmental groups much more influence with
decision-makers
• The number of members a PG has can also be a factor
• A pressure group can sponsor a ‘test case’ in court. If
successful, the ruling will often help to further their aims
and objectives
• The skill of those lobbyists working for a pressure group
• Quality of its organisation and leadership
Politics – Pressure Groups

14. Do pressure groups enhance democracy?
YES
• PGs represent various demands and interests (e.g. pro and anti-fox
hunting), and are therefore a vital element of a pluralist society. This
also ensures that both sides of an argument are heard
• PGs encourage and enable the people to participate in the political
process
• PGs can also educate and inform the electorate, and thus enhance
political education
• PGs can help to achieve change within society that strengthens
democracy, such as the civil rights campaign in the United States
during the 1960s
• Decision-makers are made aware of how the public feel about certain
issues
• Trade unions help to counterbalance the considerable power of
employers, and in doing so, ensure that workers are treated fairly
• Minorities that are otherwise under-represented by Parliament are fully
represented by PGs, such as the Muslim Council of Britain
Politics – Pressure Groups

15. Do pressure groups enhance democracy?
NO
• Outsider groups usually take direct action, which can be illegal and
undemocratic (e.g. in the United States, pro-life campaigners have sent
letter bombs to abortion clinics)
• PGs are not elected (and are therefore unaccountable) to the public.
Some PGs do not even elect their own leaders
• Insider PGs can hold too much influence over government ministers,
which can be detrimental to those who wish to reduce the role of the
state. This argument is closely associated with the New Right
• The most powerful PGs tend to represent the interests of big business
• Whilst most demonstrations are peaceful, some demonstrations can
turn violent (e.g. the Poll Tax riots in 1990)
• Some PGs could be accused of holding the country to ransom (e.g. the
Fuel Tax protestors in the year 2000)
Politics – Pressure Groups