Pressure Groups are non -governmental organisations whose main aim is to influence government policy. These groups have no intention of seeking power but rather seek to pursue single issues in the interest of their members or the people they represent. There are several types of pressure groups including insider and outsider groups. Insider groups are regularly consulted by the government and provide them with important information which can influence policy, eg. British Medical Association on health issues. On the other hand, outsider groups have yet to establish a consultative relationship with the government normally because they behave irresponsibly so the government will not engage with them, eg. Father4Justice. Also, the government may feel that the group in question does not contain the expertise to make them a useful source of information. The success of a pressure group, or lack of it as the case may be, depends on three main factors: the individual group themselves, the political party in power, and the time period the groups are operating in. (Jones and Norton, 2004)
On the whole, insider groups, as opposed to outsider groups, are more likely to influence government policy because they often have well established working relationships with politicians and civil servants. They also tend to have vast swathes of knowledge in a certain policy areas, so the UK government can be almost totally reliant on them for access to information when making a policy in a relevant field. For example only farmers can implement farming policy which results in the National Farmers Union enjoying a powerful insider status, so the government could possibly find itself in a position where this union has the power to tell them that they ar...
... middle of paper ...
...cy. Groups who resort to violence and lawlessness in getting their message out are unlikely to hold the ear of any democratically elected government. That is not to say that such “direct action” methods are unsuccessful in drawing attention to a certain cause or issue. One can comprehend that there are certain uses for pressure groups and maybe in some parts of the country if we did not have them then some things would not run as smoothly as it currently does, for example the National Farmers Union – who are a massive organization with expertise, knowledge and considerable power in their particular policy area.
Works Cited
Jones, B. 2004. Politics UK. Harlow, England: Pearson/Longman
Grant, W. 2000. Pressure groups and British politics. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan Press.
Simpson, D. 1999. Pressure groups. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Pressure Groups have become increasingly important in liberal democracies in influencing and raising awareness of their group’s particular causes or interest. This essay will assess wither or not pressure groups are more powerful than the government in Britain. To fully understand if pressure groups are more powerful than the British Government we much take into account the varying classifications of pressure groups, define what is meant by power, the different way pressure groups influence public
views on power are the ones which have had greatest influence. Marxists argued that power is held by one particular group. In this case that group is a class; the middle class. They are also known as the ‘Capitalist’ ruling class or Bourgeoisie, who dominate or have power over the working class who are otherwise known as the Proletariats. Marxists argued that political power comes from economic power, i.e. those with a lot of money have power over those without. The middle classes are argued
The Effects of Pressure Groups on the Government A pressure group is an organised interest group, which seek to influence the formulation and the implementation of public policy. In both the United Kingdom and the United States of America, membership to political parties has decreased, meanwhile membership to pressure groups have increased. Pressure groups differ from political parties in that they do not seek to win political office; in addition, they concern themselves with sectional policy
This essay explores pressure groups and their role in democracy and society. It also discusses how pressure groups use the media as a communication strategy to influence. Introduction Pressure groups are known to be small and extremely diverse formed on the basis of interest and activities, their functions give them a high public profile where minds are influenced and driven to make change. “A Pressure group is an organisation which seeks to influence the details of a comparatively small
Pressure Groups Being Good for Democracy Pressure groups are organisations whose members share common interests and seek to influence governments. They can be classified in several different ways but the most important distinction is between insider and outsider groups. They are organisations that want to change policy but do not want to become the government. They focus on particular issues or areas of concern and can become involved in policy making by organising campaigns, sending letters
Since few decades political parties are hit by a decreasing participation of citizens who seem to turn away from politics. However the rise of memberships in pressure groups argues against this theory, proving that societies just have found a new way to get involved. But are these groups, which are usually not under governments' control, compatible with the notion of democracy ? At first it seems that they are essential for boosting citizens' participation in politics. But then it appears that they
The Point of Pressure Groups Pressure groups are a collection of people that stress the points in which they want the Government to notice in order to bring about change. This is done for two different reasons. Firstly, it is done by sectional groups that are groups sectionally involved in defending their own economic interests, and bringing about change to improve the state of their interests such as the Confederation of Business Industry and National Farmers’. Secondly are cause or promotional
Since 1972, the British Government has had mixed successes trying to establish peace in Northern Ireland. 1972 was the peak of the British unpopularity in Ireland, with the events of Bloody Sunday still fresh on the public consciousness; the Sunningdale agreement was drawn up. The Unionists saw this as a betrayal, giving into the southern rebels, and the IRA thought that this was an attempt to get the Southern Government to officially recognise the partition. Sunningdale fell almost immediately after
Before beginning to speak about the complex interactions between the media and politics, we must understand what politics and the media are. Media is the sum total of all the different forms of mass communication such as television, radio, newspapers and the internet (Dictionary.com, 2016). Politics is the activity through which people make, maintain and amend the general regulations under which they exist. Politics has been viewed as the art of government or as ‘what concerns the state’; as the
those enterprises which leads to lasting political influence over the corporation`s management, therefore, lobbying is a constrain for efficiency maximisation. Let's examine the privatisation carried out by the British Conservative governments. When reviewed (Holder, 2012) it will show that it worked out to be a good example of interaction among pressure groups and government, with little regard for the consumers' interest. This definitely proves that political objectives are likely going to lead government
as Britain is not truly run by the majority as there are many groups that exert independent influence and power over the government. Despite this though many still consider reasonable to call the British government a “Majoritarian” government as it is substantially “Majoritarian” because of this the government does have some strengths and limitations that are a direct result of this unique structure of government it has. The British government is considered by many to have a Majoritarian government
The British people rely on the EU in terms of stabilising trade, investments, travel, litigation, national security and political values (Moravcsik, 2016). Whether Brexit then should be seen as the first real example of disintegration in the EU is still hard to say as the negotiation-process on the terms of leaving and
people felt that Congressmen and State office holders held high standards, (Medvic p. 2). In addition, Americans tend to like their representatives more than the members of Congress because they view them as actual people. Americans view Congress as a group of politicians who are greedy and not representing their interests, (Medvic p. 4). Popular culture also plays a role in why Americans do not trust politicians. Late-night television shows use politicians in their comedy skits, where their mistakes
The Influence of Pressure Groups on the Government This essay will outline the significance to which pressure groups have an influence on government and explain how they have fared under New Labour governments. Whilst the term ‘pressure groups’ may be relatively new, the concept itself dates back as far as 1787. The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade was led by William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson and successfully campaigned for the abolition of the slave trade
Pressure Groups and Their Influence on the Government Britain is often referred to as a homogenous society as the public tend to share similar political views. However, more recently, there has been a decline in membership to political parties and an increase in the membership of pressure groups. In this essay I will define pressure groups, information surrounding such as the amount of power they have and how effectively they can influence institutions of power. A pressure group is