Pressure Groups

Pressure Groups

A pressure group can be described as organised group that does not put

up candidates for election, but seeks to influence government policy

or legislation Some people avoid using the term ‘pressure group’ as it

can inadvertently be interpreted as meaning the groups use actual

pressure to achieve their aims, which does not necessarily happen. In

Britain, the number of political parties is very small, whereas the

number of pressure groups runs into thousands

The term pressure group is a very wide definition that does not

clearly distinguish between the groups that fall under the term. For

example, a pressure group can be a huge organisation like the CBI

(Confederation of British Industry), which represents 150,000

businesses, and it can also be a single-issue locally based

organisation like CLARA (Central Area Leamington ResidentÂ’s

Association), which represents less than 300 households The definition

also does not distinguish between the more extreme pressure groups

such as the Animal Liberation Front, whose campaigns include the

illegal activities such as planting bombs,

The aim of all pressure groups is to influence the people who actually

have the power to make decisions. Pressure groups do not look for the

power of political office for themselves, but do seek to influence the

decisions made by those who do hold this political power. Often

pressure groups find themselves competing with rival pressure groups

with the aim of gaining an advantage over them, but sometimes groups

work together to achieve a common aim. Pressure groups provide a means

of popular participation in national politics between election...

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...l would prove expensive. The

group will only then really be noticed if there is material produced

by the group that can be given to the public. The group is placed in a

very compromising situation; they either spend their own money or

collect charity. The group is then very limited and is not seen as

being very powerful therefore small groups on the majority are never

really taken notice of because the government only pays serious

attention to them if it sees that they have widespread public support.

In my view the above problem is what leads them to do illegal acts,

which they carry out of desperation. In my view outsider groups lead

on in the future to be insiders gradually. It is important in

democracy to have someone who has the will power to get laws changed

if the majority does not see the laws as satisfactory.