ScotDem - Pressure Groups

Question 1

Role/Purpose/Aims of pressure groups in Scottish democracy (6)

Answer 1

One aim of pressure groups in Scotland is to uphold people’s rights. This means that different groups work to protect the rights of minorities. Evidence of this is Scottish Trans, who work to defend the rights of trans people.

A purpose of pressure groups in Scotland is to raise awareness of issues. This means that by being publicly vocal about affairs, they can increase the amount of people who know about the matter. Evidence of this is Extinction Rebellion, who commit many publicity stunts, e.g. duct taping themselves to the pavement.

Question 2

Methods pressure groups use to influence Scottish democracy (6)

Answer 2

One method that pressure groups use is campaigning. This means they can attempt to stop proposed bills from passing. Evidence of this is that For Women Scotland presented this topic in parliament to raise concerns about the gender recognition reform bill.

Another method that pressure groups use is protesting. This means they undertake activism to raise awareness about their cause. Evidence of this is extinction rebellion had 3 protestors in 2024 attempt to lock onto the Scottish parliament building with messages related to the proposed gas power station in Peterhead.

Question 3

Ways in which pressure groups have influence over Scottish democracy (6)

Answer 3

One way that pressure groups have influence is that they can get parliament to take action.This means that through campaigning and protesting publicly, the government will take note of their aims and act on them. Evidence of this is the parliament declared a climate emergency after 10,000 people publicly protested in London as part of Extinction Rebellion. (2019)

Another way that pressure groups have influence is that they can help alleviate suffering.
This means that some PGs help inform those in need of financial support available and help them access it. Evidence of this is that the child poverty action group has helped 500,000 families benefit from expansion of child benefits.

Question 4

Ways in which pressure groups influence over Scottish democracy is limited (6)

Answer 4

One way pressure groups has limited influence is that they may not be well known across Scotland. This means that many people aren’t aware of their aims and may not support their campaign. Evidence of this is that PG “all under one banner” has 81000 followers on Facebook, which is not a lot compared to Scotlands population of 5 million.

Another way PGs have limited influence is that their cause can be hard to tackle. This means that the group may struggle to successfully overcome there cause as it may be too difficult for them. Evidence of this is that 500,000 families have benefited from the campaign but still over a million are still deprived in Scotland.