1.3 pressure groups and other influences

Question 1

Types of groups: sectional

Answer 1

interest groups - seek to promote the interest of an occupation of other group of society

Trade unions negotiate to increase min wage etc

Question 2

Types of groups: cause groups

Answer 2

(promotional) - focused on achieving a specific goal or drawing attention to a particular issue

Greenpeace promotes awareness of environmental concerns and attempts to influence the government to adopt ‘green policies’

Question 3

Types of groups: social movements

Answer 3

(more loosly structure then cause groups)

usually way more extreme

e.g the camps for climate action were created from 2006-2010 in protest against the expansion of heathrow.

Question 4

Insider groups

Answer 4

rely on contacts with Whitehall ministers and civil servants to achieve their aims

e.g the national union of farmers have closed links to DEFRA

Question 5

Types of insider

High profile

low pofile

Answer 5

high - use lobbying and media

low- discreet contracts out of the public eye

Question 6

What is Defra

Answer 6

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Question 7

Outsider group

Answer 7

not consulted by the government, often deemed to radical

more extreme, govt will usually not engage in dialogue - often associated with criminal activity

e.g animal right protesters intimidating workers at an animal testing lab

Question 8

Why can pressure groups change from insider to outsider?

Answer 8

Often depends on political circumstances at the time. e.g the type of government that is in power

in the 1970s trade unions had backstage access to the government and we’re listened to - powerful
Thatcher - significantly reduced the power of trade unions - deliberately excluded

Question 9

Methods of pressure groups

Answer 9

Depends of their status of insider or outsider group - e.g the national union of farmers are consulted by the government to assist them on agricultural policy, in exchange the farmers union has access to draft bills and influence.

Pressure groups can lobby through ministers

• email Mps
• petitions
• protests
• media attention

Question 10

Explain what LIBERTY

Answer 10

can be both considered a outsider and insider group

human rights protection group

• used lawyers to put across views on counterterrorism polices that will affect liberties

PROMOTE HRs
anti policing bill
anti face recognition

Question 11

Success of LIBERTY

Answer 11

successes

• govt promised to revise vagrancy act
• liberty helped defeat the governments discriminatory right to rent scheme (2019)
• protection of the HRA 1998
• House of lords ruled 2004 anti-terrorism bill a breach of human rights - allowed foreigners to be arrested if suspected of terrorism

Question 12

Outsider groups methods

Answer 12

less discrete methods
lack contacts in government so they seek media attention often through publicity stunts

direct action - insulate Britain staged blockades on the M25 and the port of dover in september 2021 in protest over the government’s lack of awareness of not insulating homes. Name recognition rose by 77%, however, people hated them

Question 13

what does influence depend on (resources etc

Answer 13

resources - financial support, strong leadership, employment, volunteers

Question 14

Does a big pressure group lead to success?

Answer 14

Yes,
RSPCA (insider) hires 1600 employees, thousands of volunteers, colluded with two other pressure groups and successful achieved the 2004 ban on fox hunting and use of dogs

No,

110,000 members for the campaign for nuclear disarmament in the mid-1980s, Thatcher government were able to ignore as she had the larger passive support from the majority of the nation.

Question 15

What was the snowdrop campaign and how does it show public support success (social movement)

Answer 15

Snowdrop campaign successfully achieved the firearm amendment act, which banned the use of handguns 1997

• after Dunblane massacre 1996

Question 16

What success has the National Union of Farmers had?

Answer 16

worked with the government to achieve the 2020 agriculture act which involved the withdrawl from the EU’s common agricultural policy.

Question 17

What are Think Tanks?

Answer 17

Groups of experts brought together to come up with solutions to complex, social, economic or political problems.

Question 18

Name the Think Tank used by Thatcher and why

Answer 18

Adam Smith institute

used as her party and government was looking at reducing the role of the state and achieving a free market.

Question 19

Name the two Labour party think tanks

Answer 19

Fabian society

Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) - david milliband

Question 20

Name the think tank created by former con leader Ian Duncan Smith, its success and the year it was created

Answer 20

created 2004
CENTRE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (CSJ)

6 years later, Smith becomes the secretary of work and pensions in the collationed government

able to utilise think tank to introduce universal credit.

Question 21

What are lobbyists?

Answer 21

professional advocates that work to influence political decisions on behalf of individuals, firms or groups.

Question 22

How much is spent on lobbying each year (UK)

Answer 22

£2 billion

Question 23

What is the revolving door?

Answer 23

When previous ministers take up high paying jobs in the private sector to utilise their government and parliament contacts to lobby for firms.

around 52 ministers now lobbyists

Question 24

What is the rule about retiring ministers and lobbying?

Answer 24

ministers is banned from lobbying for 2 years after resigning

Question 25

What law limits the power of lobbyists

Answer 25

2014 - The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration

makes it legally mandated that all lobbying all lobbying activity is registered.

Question 26

What does parliament bar MPs from accepting from lobbyists?

Answer 26

financial incentives.

Question 27

By how much has pressure group membership dropped?

Answer 27

1980 - 4.2%

2010 - 0.8%

Question 28

Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions

P groups are limited (p1)

Answer 28

p1 - p groups are limited

Pressure groups can only really influence government because of the the HRA act 1998, which grants them protesting abilities.

pressure groups do not have the ability to introduce legislation or amend laws

Their calls and demands are not legally binding - e.g the calls for free school meals was ignored by the government

membership has dropped from 4.2% to 0.8%

Outsider groups such as Insulate Britain/ extinction rebellion have lost public support over harsh protesting that has impacted the people more than the government - limited influences government unwilling to engage in dialogue.

govt is able to reduce the powers of outsider groups - e.g the new policing bill

Question 29

Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions

P2 - p groups have influence

Answer 29

p2 - influential

Government will want to listen to pressure groups to retain public approval and support

more likely to listen to insider pressure groups

The national union of farmers have close links to government, give their expertise in exchange for bill influence - 2020 agricultural act

insider groups have more successful tactics such as collaborating - size of RSPCA - achieved 2004 fox hunting ban

PRESSURE GROUP ‘SHELTER’ - led to 1977 housing act

Question 30

Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions

p3- lobbyists are not influential

Answer 30

p3 - lobbyists not influential

due to various acts and conduct codes, lobbying is very much limited as well as the public being more aware of it

2014 transparency of lobbyists, non- party campaigning and trade union admin - legally mandated that all lobbying activity must be registered

bans lobbying for ministers for 2 years

Owen Patterson - forced to resign as an MP over lobbying row and disapproval from public

Question 31

Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions

P4 - lobbying is influential

Answer 31

£2 billion spent by private sector, 4,000 employees

revolving door - mps become lobbyists

utilise connections to influence legislation

Greenshill - Cameron used connections to get Greenshill on the access to covid loans - included Rishi sunak contact

2019 the Guardian exposed his lobbying on behalf of two companies from whom he has received at least £500,000 in payments.

Question 32

Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions

p5- think tanks are not influential

Answer 32

p5 - not influential

Can only be influential when the party that holds power has similar ideologies - e.g during the conservative stronghold such as Thatcher, the Fabian society and institute of public policy have no influence as they will not be listen to, vice versa

Furthermore, compromises will often be made and not very idea think tanks put forward will be used, this is because some form of bipartisanship may be needed to pass a bill

many MPs use think tanks to achieve high levels of positions - e.g david milliband in the institute of public policy, became advisor to Blair, dissociated himself with the ideologies of the institute

ideologies change, e.g thatcher to cameron, old labour to new labour - weakens think tanks

Question 33

Evaluate the view that think tanks, lobbyists, and pressure groups have little influence on govt decisions

p6- think tanks are influential

Answer 33

p6 - think tanks are influential

• Parties often consult think tanks for expertise and advise - e.g thatcher relied heavily upon the Adam Smith institute to help her bring the economy into a free market state

2004 - ian duncan smith set up think tank - centre for social justice - 2010 - secretary for work and pensions introduced universal credit

Question 34

Name a conservative think tank

Answer 34

Chatham house