3. PRESSURE GROUPS
“organisations whose members
share common interests and which
seek to influence government”
Garnett & Lynch
4. PRESSURE GROUPS
• Also known as:
– Interest groups
– Action groups
– Lobby groups
– Protest groups
5. PRESSURE GROUPS
• The difference between Political
Parties and Pressure Groups
Parties seek election Most Pressure Groups
don’t seek election
Political Parties seek to Pressure Groups seek to
form government influence government
Political Parties produce Pressure Groups
manifestos on a wide campaign on a single
range of issues issue or arena
6. PRESSURE GROUPS
• The term ‘Pressure Group’ is a catch-all:
– Sectional
– Cause/ promotional
– Local
– National
– Transnational
– Umbrella
– Temporary
– Permanent
– ? Terrorist
7. PRESSURE GROUPS
• The problem with classifications:
– Not accurate
– Can apply many labels
– People join for different reasons
– For and against groups
– Success = organisation, £, leadership and
influence
8. PRESSURE GROUPS
• The most important definition of
Pressure Groups:
• Insider =
• Outsider =
11. WHO LISTENS?
• Government?
• Parliament?
• Political Parties?
• Civil Service?
• Local Government?
• European Union?
• Mass Media?
• Other Pressure Groups?
12. WHY DO GOVERNMENTS
LISTEN?
• Group may represent issue with
widespread public support.
• Group may represent the key voters of
‘Middle England’.
• Group may represent issue close to
interests of core support of government.
• Group may provide access to body of
specialist information -British Medical
Association.
• Group may be involved in implementation
of government policy - farmers.
• Government may listen as the result of
effective (and expensive) paid lobbying.
13. WHY DOES
PARLIAMENT LISTEN?
• Parliament is the sovereign law-making body.
• Groups may have close links with MPs.
• Group may have issue represented by Private
Members’ Bill.
• Some groups may gain access to Select
Committee Hearings.
• Well-organised groups may pay lobbyists to
approach a group of MPs on their behalf.
14. WHY DO PARTIES
LISTEN?
• Group may represent core party support.
• Group may represent a cause that
opposition parties can use to ‘damage’
government.
• Group may be able to provide access to
information that the Party can use to
frame its response to events and its
future policy planning.
15. WHY DO CIVIL
SERVANTS LISTEN?
• Civil Servants are expected to consult as
part of the normal democratic process.
• Civil Servants remain generalists - Groups
can provide specialist knowledge.
• Groups may be able to provide useful
feedback on the implementation process.
16. WHY DOES LOCAL
GOVERNMENT LISTEN?
• Local government will be the obvious
point of contact for local pressure groups.
• Groups may be able to provide important
advice on local issues and provision of
local services.
• Local Government finds itself responsible
for areas of key pressure group activity -
education, environment, transport.
17. WHY DOES THE MASS
MEDIA LISTEN?
• Groups have become good at
manipulating the media.
• Some group issues have genuine ‘public
interest’.
• Some group aims will match the political
agendas of newspaper owners.
• News is now 24/7 - pressure groups can
help to fill all that time and space.
18. WHY DOES THE EU
LISTEN?
For one crucial reason -
POWER HAS SHIFTED
TO BRUSSELS
-
GROUPS HAVE
FOLLOWED POWER
21. Corporatism
When major pressure
groups in a society work
closely with the government
in the hope of achieving
mutually beneficial goals,
this is known as
corporatism.
23. Corporatism
In the early 1960’s there was
concern over economic decline.
Harold Macmillan (Conservative)
set up cooperation between the:
• GOVERNMENT
• T.U.C.
• C.B.I.
(known as ‘TRIPARTISM’)
24. Corporatism
In 1961 the NATIONAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
(N.E.D.C.) was set up as a forum
for M.P’s, civil servants, employers
and unions to meet on a regular
basis to consider ways to promote
economic growth.
25. Corporatism
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher
abandoned corporatism:
‘We have rejected the TUC. We
have rejected the CBI. We do not
see them coming back again. We
gave up the corporate state.’
(Lord Young – Trade & Industry Minister)
29. Insider Groups
• Reasons why groups enjoy insider
status:
– Expertise
– Implementation skills
– Realistic/ reasonable aims
– Abide by political rules
– Representative of members
38. PLURALISM
• Belief that society
consists of different •Is competition healthy?
groups representing •Do groups promote
different interests. compromise?
•Do groups have equal
• Groups are in
access to resources?
competition with •Are groups good for
each other as they the promotion of
attempt to influence political participation?
political decisions.
• Sign of a healthy
democracy?
39. ELITE THEORY
• Groups are not representative.
• ‘Insider’ groups will always be
more influential than ‘Outsider’
groups.
• Groups are not equally wealthy.
• Some interests depend on others to
organise for them.
• Not all groups are democratic.
• ‘Political’ campaigns fought more
effectively by business & middle-
class interests.
40. NEW RIGHT CRITIQUE
• Groups get in the way of the market
and obstruct government - they are
dangerous for parliamentary
democracy.
• Government is elected - groups are
not.
• Groups distort work of free market.
• Too many groups - too many
demands on government.
• Too many groups - slow economic
growth.
• Too many groups - confuse the
policy making process.
