what are pressure groups and social movements

What are the similarities between political parties and pressure groups?

Both aim to make political change

Both have leaders and large members of volunteers who all rally behind similar goals

Both are known for their policies on particular issues

Both publish manifestos that pressured the government/ parties

Both can emerge form or be a part of social movements

How are political parties and pressure groups different?

Pressure groups-

- a group of like-minded people who attempt to influence government policy, particularly new legislation

- Aim the influence the gov

- Huge number in existence

- Can be divisive

- Not held accountable by the public

- Focus on particular issues

- Members have different views of other political issues

Political Parties-

- Aim to form a gov

- Comparatively few in number

- Often aim for broad appeal & inclusive

- Held accountable at elections

- Need to consider every issue

Members broadly back their party's positions on many issues(Collective responsibility

What are single-issue parties?

They are parties that don't want to win power

but they want to attract attention & publicity for their cause & apply pressure

By running an election they hope to use the platform to apply pressure, demonstrate public support and give an opportunity for protest voting

What are social movements? How are they different to pressure groups?

They are larger informal networks of people and organisation that wish to make significant broad changes to society e.g Feminism- many people claim to have feminist idea and beliefs and aim to advance a range of feminist cause. This will inspire a more formal pressure groups to advance more specific goals e.g Reproductive rights, equal pay, maternity leave

How and why do the methods used by social movements change over time?

Initially they call for significant and quite radical changes to society and can find it hard to work through political parties and instead use protest& direct action. However over time, as the movement becomes more popular and attitudes change, their aims can be achieved through formal organisation and political parties.

What are some examples of left-wing movements?

Left Wing:

- The Labour Movement

o During the industrial movement, many people moved from the countryside to work in cities

o The growing working classes developed a shared identity & aims e.g : higher pay & shorter working hours & safer conditions.

o This movement became more formalised as pressure groups: Trade Unions and Political Partieies: The Labour Party.

- The Environmental Movement

o The development if nuclear weapons/energy, oil spills, public education made many concerned about the environementt in the 50s-70s.

o There was a big increase in demonstrations & lifestyle changes

o The Movement became more formalised of Pressure groups e.g Green Peace and the Politicla Party e.g the Green Party.

- Peace Movement

- Feminist Movement

- Gay Rights

- Civil Rights Movement

What are some examples of right-wing movements?

Right Wing:

- Rural movement

o Truck drivers blocked fuel delivers to protest increasing prices

o Countryside alliance march in London to oppose ban on fox hunting & other rural issues

What are the main functions of pressure groups?

Representation

Participation

Education

What does representation means

- Functional representation: they represent a specific section of society

- Ensure all interest and views are considered

- Help to give minorities a voice

What does Participation mean

- Provide a means of participation in-between infrequent election

- -they offer a more direct & attractive alternative to political parties

- Allow them to support a specific cause

what does Education mean

- Public- raise awareness and inform the public about political issues

Government- provide evidence and use expertise to improve legislation

How pressure groups work

• Pressure groups aim to influence policies and political decisions or change public attitudes without looking to gain political office.

• Pressure groups have a narrowly focused aim or goal which is shared with all pressure group members.

Insider groups

• Insider pressure groups have regular contact with decision makers and so are able to work ‘inside’ the political system.

• Insider groups are often consulted on specific policy issues by government departments, MPs, political parties and committees.

• Insider group privileged access may be based on the view that they are regarded as more moderate than other types of pressure group.

• Insider groups need to be careful to keep the government on their side, so tend not to make extreme demands.

• Insider group methods of influence involve working closely with those in the political system rather than more extreme methods such as direct action.

Examples of insider groups

• NICE (National Institute for Health Care and Excellence) work with the government to create policy around healthcare and the NHS.

• Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) are both regularly consulted by the government.

• The TaxPayers’ Alliance has close links to the Conservative party.

Outsider groups

• Outsider pressure groups are not consulted by the government, do not have direct and regular contact with decision makers and do not operate through influencing those within the political system.

• Outsider pressure groups aim to gain the support of public opinion.

• Outsider pressure groups undertake methods of influencing policy which involve working ‘outside’ the political system.

• "Potential" insiders may aim to work inside the political system.

Examples of outsider groups

• Fathers4Justice campaign for fathers to have equal rights after separation.

• Occupy Movement campaign for a balance between executive and worker pay.

• Plane Stupid is a pressure group against the expansion of UK airports.

  • Amnesty International is an example of a potential outsider group.

Sectional groups

only target the interests of a certain section of society

• Sectional groups represent a specific section of society.

• Sectional groups do not campaign for broader issues.

• Sectional groups are concerned with protecting and advancing the interests of their members.

Examples of sectional groups

• House Builders Federation represents the voice of the house building industry

• British Medical Association represents 160,000 doctors.

Promotional groups

• Promotional or Cause groups have a single issue which they are concerned with promoting.

• Promotional groups promote ideas that don’t directly benefit their members but which they believe will benefit the public in general.

• Promotional groups are more inclusive because they aim to create a large membership base.

• promotional groups target single issues

Examples of promotional groups

• Stop HS2 want to stop the building of the second high-speed rail line in the UK.

• Greenpeace wish to end destruction of the environment.

• Mediawatch-UK want to promote "family values in the media".

Functions of Pressure Groups

• Political representation

• Government scrutiny

• Political debate

• Influencing policy

• Political education

• Political participation

Rabbits Scare Deer’s , Police Eat Pineapples

Political representation

• Pressure groups represent their members, sections of society, or causes, in the political sphere.

• Pressure groups can speak for and defend minorities, so that they have a voice in society.

• Pressure groups can help prevent a ‘tyranny of the majority’ (when the majority of the electorate impose their interests and policies on society at the expense of the minority).

  • The Police Federation aggregates concerns of police officers in the UK.

  • The National Union of Teachers represents teachers

Government scrutiny

• Some pressure groups scrutinise government policies and legislation, offering suggestions for how it may be improved.

• Insider groups often carry out this scrutiny function.

Political debate

• Pressure groups enable debate on important issues to take place

• On certain issues there will be pressure groups making the case on both sides, so encouraging debate.

  • In the debate over the building of a third runway at Heathrow airport, the British Chambers of Commerce have argued for a third runway whilst the No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG) have argued against plans for the runway.

Influencing policy

• Pressure groups can act as a vital source of expert information and advice to governments. Insider pressure groups are regularly consulted in formulating policy.

• For example: the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents works to change policy.

• Pressure groups also try to influence policy through public pressure with the aim of influencing the government through pressure from voters. Outsider pressure groups aim to influence in this way.

Political education

• Pressure groups look to promote the education of the public around the issues which they are concerned with.

  • Migration Watch UK provides information on immigration numbers for the public.

  • Muslim Council of Britain look to increase the education of the public around Islam.

Political participation

• Joining a pressure group allows for increased political participation through alternative means to voting and in between elections.

  • ‘We Demand a Referendum’ Group dropped off a petition at Downing Street with 100,000 signatures in 2012 calling for a referendum on EU membership.

• Pressure groups also enable participation in local level politics

  • The pressure group Stop Somerset Cuts have protested against the Somerset County Council’s proposals for cuts in public services by 2020.

Insider Influence

• Direct access to decision-makers

• Lobbying

• Influencing MPs

• Influencing parties

Influencing Politics Outside Parliament

• Protest

• Fathers4Justice marched outside former PM David Cameron’s home in Oxfordshire in 2011 to demonstrate their anger at his article which labelled men who abandon their families as “Feckless Fathers” who “should be looked at like drink drivers”.

• The pressure group Hacked Off had a petition signed by 175,000 people in 2013 for the recommendations from the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking to be implemented.

• Direct action

• Fathers4Justice carried out a publicity stunt in which a member of the group scaled Buckingham Palace balcony dressed as Batman.

• The Animal Liberation Front has carried out attacks on homes of people with connections to pharmaceutical research laboratories using animals as part of their research.

• Legal challenges

• Pressure groups have tried to use the court to enforce policy changes or contest (challenge) current policy.

Factors Affecting Pressure Group Success

• Public support

• Membership size

• Access to decision-makers

• Insider access to decision-makers will increase the likelihood of changing political opinions.

• Resources (e.g. (human capital).)

National Farmers Union (NFU)

Campaign against bTB

• The NFU led a campaign against bovine tuberculosis (bTB), which involves killing badgers which pass the disease on to cattle.

• The NFU argue that bTB is incredibly harmful to farmers, and means that tens of thousands of cattle have to be killed every year.

• BTB has been harmful and costs the economy in the UK £100 million per year.

Methods and outcome

• The NFU had insider contacts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

• DEFRA supported the cull, and so a trial of the cull went ahead in 2012 and 2013.

• This was despite lots of public opposition - in 2011 opinion polls showed that the majority of the British public were opposed.

• Other pressure groups opposed the cull, led by the Badger Trust.

• This shows the importance of insider access for successful policy action.

Occupy London

Occupy London were an outsider, promotional group that protested the City of London's financial institutions and their greed in 2011 and 2012.

Campaign

• The Occupy London movement protested against corporate greed and social inequality.

• This was part of a global set of protests for the same cause.

• The group camped outside St Paul's Cathedral in London, and occupied squares and abandoned buildings throughout London.

• The group campaigned for a variety of causes - against climate change, against tax cuts and bank bail-outs.

Outcome

• The group had many vague aims when campaigning.

• The group was able to bring attention to their cause, but they were unable to achieve a long-term impact.

  • Many argue that this is because they didn't have a clear goal.

• The group didn't have insider access to decision-makers, and so could only influence by doing public demonstrations to raise awareness and put pressure on decision-makers.

• The City of London Corporation only complied with one demand.