Pressure Groups

Question 0

What are the 8 functions of a pressure group? Give examples for each.

Answer 0

1) Represent our interests to the government (Eg: trade unions/ Age UK)
2) Promote social progress and liberal ideas (Eg: Stonewall and gay marriage)
3) Help to educate the public ( Eg: Greenpeace CND)
4) Help government gauge pinko opinion (ID Cards scrapped because of Liberty and No2ID)
5) Provide stability by enabling people to ‘let off steam’ (Eg: 2014 Gaza protests)
6) Providing specialist knowledge (Eg: BMA and the 2012 H&SC act)
7) Maintaing a healthy pluralist democracy (Eg: EDL and Britain First being tolerated)
8) Scrutiny function (Eg: Shelter)

Question 1

Why are the House of Lords easier to target for Pressure Groups?

Answer 1

They’re less disciplined than the Commons.

Question 2

Give 2 examples of pressure groups that only exist on social media.

Answer 2

Britain First and Another Angry Voice.

Question 3

Give an example of a pressure group targeting the House of Lords.

Answer 3

Christian groups like ‘Christian Voice’ targeting a number of key Lords including the Bishops to have exemptions placed on the 2010 equality act so they could discriminate against gay people for religious reasons.

Question 4

Give an example of non payment of taxes.

Answer 4

1990 Poll Tax protests.

Question 5

Give two examples of MPs that support a particular pressure group.

Answer 5

Caroline Lucas and no more page 3. And Sarah Champion and Barnardos.

Question 6

In what year did CND make their inaugural march at Aldermaston?

Answer 6

1958.

Question 7

What are sectional/interest pressure groups? Give examples.

Answer 7

A pressure group that represents a specific section of society and promotes the best interests of their members.
Eg: The Taxpayer’s Alliance, NFU, RIBA, BMA, GMB and the Law Society.

Question 8

Give two examples of boycotts.

Answer 8

Anti-apartheid boycotts in the 1980’s and Anti-Israel boycotts in 2014.

Question 9

What are insider pressure groups? Give examples.

Answer 9

Pressure groups that operate inside the political system, through contacts with peers, ministers and official committees. They are regularly consulted by government.

Eg: CBI, NFU, BMA.

Question 10

What are cause/issue promotional pressure groups?

Answer 10

A pressure group that seeks to promote altruism and a cause rather than the interests of it’s members.

Eg: Red Cross, YMCA, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Greenpeace etc

Question 11

Identify the features of an insider group.

Answer 11

They must follow the law and don’t challenge the Status Quo.

Question 12

What is an outsider pressure group? Give examples.

Answer 12

Outsider groups have no specific link with government and so seek to influence decision making by mobilising public opinion.

Eg: Earth First! Occupy, HSA.

Question 13

Why might a pressure group be an outsider?

Answer 13

• They may prefer to retain their independence and freedom of action
• They may break the law
• They may not comply with the government’s agenda
• They may be relatively young and not had chance to become insiders yet.

Question 14

What is a dual function pressure group? Give examples.

Answer 14

Groups which may have unpopular ideas but have access to wealth and infrastructure to lobby the government.
Eg: Hacked Off and Greenpeace.

Question 15

Give 3 examples of spontaneous/populist movements.

Answer 15

UK Uncut, the 45% and the Arab Spring.

Question 16

Identify 5 differences between Pressure Groups and Political Parties.

Answer 16

1) PGs want to influence the government, PPs want to BE the government.
2) PGs are usually concerned with single issues, PPs have a wide range of policies.
3) PGs have any structure from a hierarchy to a free for all, PPs have a structure of members, MPs, councillors etc.
4) PGs could break the law, PPs must stay within the law.
5) PG membership is rising, whereas less people trust PPs.

Question 17

Give 2 examples of overlap between political parties and pressure groups.

Answer 17

Britain first and the Swedish Feminist initiative.

Question 18

Give an example of a large but ineffective pressure group.

Answer 18

Unison has 1.3 million members but failed to stop public sector cuts.

Question 19

Give two examples of successful pressure groups.

Answer 19

ASH. They successfully campaigned for a ban on smoking in public places. The Snowdrop Campaign after the Dunblane massacre getting the government to amend the firearms act and ban handguns.

Question 20

Define the term ‘elitism’.

Answer 20

A tendency for power to be monopolised by small groups of influential people.

Question 21

What was the turnout at the 2010 general election?

Answer 21

60%.

Question 22

Define the term ‘Astroturfing’.

Answer 22

Creating what appear to be grassroots protests against regulatory threats which are actually a front for industry interests.

Question 23

Define the term ‘corporatism’.

Answer 23

The control of the state by late interest groups such as trade unions.

Question 24

Give 6 examples of declining pressure group influence.

Answer 24

1) The sheer number of pressure groups can make them confusing. Furthermore, if there are a number of different pressure groups for one issue it can lead to a lack of clarity and unity. Eg: a number of anti-facist groups: Hope not Hate, Unite against facism, Anti-Facist action etc 2) A number of recent high profile campaigns have failed Eg: NAFAC- tuition fees in 2010 and STW coalition in Iraq in 2003. 3) The power to change the law still resides with government. Eg: When a petition about the H&SC act reached the specified number of signatures, the Commons refused to debate it. 4) Thatcher killed of corporatism 5) e-democracy is actually damaging as people may sign petitions but then fail to attend rallies and whatnot. Eg: No cohesive movement against the H&SC act. 6) THE LOBBYING ACT!!!!!!!

Question 25

When was the lobbying act passed?

Answer 25

January 2014.

Question 26

How much is the cap on campaigning in a constituency a year before any election?

Answer 26

£10,000.

Question 27

Why has there been a growth in pressure groups since the 1960s? Give 6 reasons.

Answer 27

1. Less focus on ideologies and instead small issues which grab people's attention like fracking. 2. The expanding role of government. It does more so there's more to complain about. 3. New pressure groups arise to counteract existing ones. 4. Big issues like global warming and immigration have arisen since the 1960s. 5. Governments are more tolerant of freedom of speech 6. Rise of the EU. Without the EU Betteroffout would not exist!

Question 28

Give an example of a successful internet campaign lead by a pressure group.

Answer 28

NUS' campaign to encourage young people to vote. They used #GenerationVote on social media and encouraged people to take 'selfies' outside polling booths to banish the negative image surrounding voting.

Question 29

Give two examples of successful public education campaigns lead by pressure groups.

Answer 29

1. PETA educating the public about the ethical issues surrounding angorra wool production. 2. Friends of The Earth's campaign to Save The Bees by highlighting bees' importance as pollinators.

Question 30

How many signatures does a petition have to gain before it has to be considered by the backbench business committee?

Answer 30

100,000

Question 31

Give an example of a successful e-petition.

Answer 31

Wild animals were banned in circuses, following an e-petition in 2011 which attracted 20,000 signatures.

Question 32

Give an example of a pressure group likely to lobby The EU.

Answer 32

'The Real Fish Fight', who lobby the EU to relax fishing restrictions.

Question 33

Give two examples of professional lobbying scandals.

Answer 33

1. Bernie Ecclestone donating £1million to the Labour party in order to seek an exemption for Formula 1 regarding the EU's proposed ban on tobacco advertising in 1997. 2. In October 2007, Lord Hoyle was paid an undisclosed sum for introducing an arms lobbyist to the then defence minister, Lord Dayton.

Question 34

Give two recent examples of public sector strikes.

Answer 34

1. The FBU went on strike for 24 hours in February 2015 over pensions. 2. Unison and Unite went on strike in October 2014 over a planned public sector pay rise of just 1%.