UK Politics revision notes

Democracy and participation 

Pressure groups

a group that tries to influence public policy in the interest of a particular cause, don’t usually enter its own candidates in elections or seek to exercise power themselves

Types of groups:

• Sectional -groups that campaign for their own interests 

• casual -groups that campaign for a cause on behalf of others

• insider - linked to the government 

• outsider - has no link with the government 

Factors that determine their success 

• wealth - wealthy interest groups can afford to have influence in the sense that they can pay full-time lobbyists to work on their behalf 

• Size- the bigger the group members) the more influence and attraction they are getting. Wealth and size are linked. 

• Public support- groups that are in line with public opinion 

• Insider- gives them more of an advantage

Methods: 

• Demonstrations: protests, rallies 

  • Stop the War, coalition march 

• Publicity campaigns: can involve celebrity endorsements

• Strikes 

• Publicity stunts

• Insider groups with close access to the government may work to influence legislation

  • British Bankers Association

  • British Medical association

  • Fathers4Justice 

• Some groups will bring cases to court to try and fight for their members’ legal rights or to protect rights against the government 

• Some groups may use illegal methods such as disrupting public events in order to gain publicity for their cause 

  • Plane Stupid 

Case studies:

• Greenpeace: Protect the Earth. Campaigns on the climate crisis, pollution, and nuclear issues. Has used insider methods such as lobbying

• British Medical Association: Trade union for doctors. Casual group. Insider and regularly lobbies Parliament to change legislation 

• Extinction Rebellion: Aims to get the government to ‘tell the truth’ about the climate crisis and to set up a Citizens’ Assembly to discuss what should be done. Use nonviolent civil disobedience. 

Pros 

Cons 

• Enhance democracy disperses power in a political system more widely 

• Help the public to hold the government to an account 

• Educate public 

• Promote interests of the minority 

• Political participation 

• Elitism means that power is more concentrated in the hands of wealthy or insider groups

• Tyranny of the minority 

• Think tanks -privately funded 

  • Develop policy ideas 

  • Research organisations that help to formulate and create policy ideas 

  • Research key ideas 

  • Promote a sectional agenda 

• Lobbyists- people hired to persuade those in power

  • Personal connections 

  • Seek to persuade those in power…