Lecture Notes on Power, Pressure Groups, and Policy Change

Trade unions and business lobbies are examples of pressure groups that try to affect change in society.
Trade unions represent workers' interests against managers and businesses.

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Key concepts: pressure groups, activism, social movements.
Case study: Industrial clause related to family and domestic violence.
Additional example: Robodebt and its impact on welfare, poverty, and inequality.
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Acknowledging the current global precarity (e.g., Russia-Ukraine, Palestine-Iran-Israel).
It's normal to find it difficult to focus due to these challenges.
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Returning to policy in Australia to develop critical skills for affecting change.
Focus this week: roles of non-state actors and external actors like activists.
Topics: democracy, key concepts from readings, examples, and assessment details.

Census date: Next Thursday (June 26), the last day to withdraw without financial penalty.
Non-assessed quiz on Moodle to check understanding of concepts.
The course is offered in terms one and two; students can rejoin in 2026 if needed.

Take the academic integrity quest on Moodle to understand referencing and avoid plagiarism.
The quest takes about 20 minutes and can be taken multiple times.

Last week's discussion: Luke's dimensions of power.
Power can be seen as charisma, influence, a means to an end, social organization, ideas, media.
$Visible power$ (first dimension): decision-making in formal political institutions, such as voting and debates in parliament.
$Non-decision making power$ (second dimension): why politicians avoid certain issues; occurs behind closed doors, influencing which decisions are made and which are not.
Unions and business lobbies exert pressure on governments.
Examples: Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) and YES campaign during the marriage equality plebiscite in 2018.
$Third dimension of power$ : shaping of ideas and values, such as those related to class, gender, race, capitalism, feminism, equality, racism, misogyny, freedom of speech.
Power is most effective when it is least observable.
Ideology: Political parties presenting values to the public and constituents.
Examples: liberal, social democratic, and conservative ideologies.

Liberalism: grounded in individual freedoms, minimal government intervention, and free market.
Social democracy: emphasizes collective interest and support for marginalized groups; advocates for communal resources and nationalization of public services.
Conservatism: traditional way of life based on nationalism, religion, and the status quo; paternalistic welfare and emphasis on law and order.
Political parties often blend different ideologies.
Understanding ideologies helps to understand how political parties make decisions.

Defining democracy: rule by the people.
Participation in democracy: voting, civil disobedience, freedom of speech.
Democracy protects the right to dissent and protest.
Literal meaning: Demos (people), Gratia (rule).
American liberal tradition: by the people, for the people.
Liberal democracy is the governing system in Australia, championing individual well-being and certain freedoms.
Six principles of democracy in Australia:
- Constitutional order.
- Liberal democracy.
- Pluralistic society.
- Responsible government.
- Respect and tolerance for opposing ideas.
- Representative democracy.
Australia is a representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions.

The Australian Parliament has two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate (upper house): 76 senators representing states and territories; elected every six years with staggered elections.
The House of Representatives (lower house): 150 members representing electorates; boundaries adjusted periodically.
Elections involve preferential voting.

Compulsory voting is enshrined in Australian law; citizens must vote, but how they vote is their choice.
Voting rate in Australia has never fallen below 90%.
Valid votes in 2022: 82%; the remainder were informal votes.
Scrutineers from each party check ballots after an election.
Political decisions are debated in the House of Representatives and then laws are passed in the Senate.
Ideas of democracy include active citizenship, inclusive society, and freedom of elections.

Active and engaged citizenship involves knowing who you are voting for and understanding party platforms.
Citizens can mobilize and demand change from their representatives.
Different tiers of government in Australia: federal, state, and local.
Social change can be challenging due to institutional inertia and the need for well-researched policies.
Advocacy Coalition Network: policy change comes from groups working together to advance social change.

Social change does not always happen through a rational process.
Framework of the policy window explains why certain issues become prominent to policymakers.
Policy windows are opportunities where three key things align:
- Public understanding of the issue.
- Feasible and cost-effective policy solution.
- Political will to address the issue.
Examples of policy windows: Industrial clause for domestic violence leave and COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy responses to COVID-19 varied across countries due to different ideologies.

Stakeholders: groups with a shared interest in affecting policy change.
Stakeholders are directly impacted by decisions.
Stakeholders can include advocacy groups, researchers, pressure groups, and unions.
Policy change model involves stakeholder consultation and discussions.