Politics UK

Eleventh Edition

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Chapter 11

Pressure groups

Chapter Summary

Pressure groups seek to influence policy and not control it. ‘Insider’ groups, which have won acceptance by government, have traditionally had a privileged position compared with ‘outsider’ groups on the periphery, which tend to use high-profile techniques that serve to disguise their lack of real influence. Business groups seek to influence through the CBI and other channels, while trade unions have lost much power since 1979. Theoretical approaches include pluralism, corporatism and Marxism. The professional lobbying of Parliament and government has raised questions of democracy and legality, but the creation of a register for lobbyists is an inadequate response. On balance, pressure group influence has probably waned since 1979 but some groups, concerned with environmental and animal issues, have increased their influence and membership. Perhaps a shift has occurred in the way pressure groups interact with government, with widely based popular movements now placing government under a kind of intense pressure it is loath to ignore.

Learning Objectives

  • To explain that formal democratic government structures conceal the myriad hidden contacts between government and organised interests.
  • To analyse and explain the way in which groups are organised and operate.
  • To take account of the development and impact of disruptive direct action campaigns
  • To introduce some familiarity with theories regarding this area of government interaction with the governed.
  • To analyse some issues connected with lobbying by pressure groups, including their impact on democracy.
  • To provide some specific examples of pressure group activity.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 11 quizzes!

Quiz

Discussion Questions

  1. Do pressure groups enhance or undermine democracy in the UK? Discuss with reference to insider and outsider groups, their influence on policy, and public accountability.
  2. To what extent do disruptive direct action campaigns, such as those by Extinction Rebellion, affect public support for the causes they advocate? Are such methods effective in bringing about legislative change?

Amnesty International – A global organization advocating for human rights and justice. (www.amnesty.org)

Change.org – A petition platform that enables individuals to campaign for social, political, and environmental change. (www.change.org)

Countryside Alliance – A rural advocacy group supporting the interests of countryside communities. (www.countryside-alliance.org/index.html)

Friends of the Earth – An environmental campaigning group promoting ecological and climate-related causes. (www.foe.co.uk)

Greenpeace UK – A global environmental organization focused on climate, oceans, forests, and biodiversity. (www.greenpeace.org.uk)

Trades Union Congress (TUC) – A federation of trade unions representing workers’ interests and advocating for workers’ rights. (www.tuc.org.uk)

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

Promotion Groups

see cause or promotion groups.

Interest Groups

see sectional or interest groups.

Pressure Group

a body possessing both formal structure and common interests which seeks to influence government at the national, local and international level without normally seeking election to representative bodies.

Sectional or Interest Groups

these groups represent the interests (particularly economic) of their members. They include business, labour and professional organisations and often have close links with political parties.

One Member, One Vote (OMOV)

the process of reform in the Labour Party by which party members vote as individuals instead of having their views represented by unions, constituency parties, etc.

Corporatism

A corporatist model describes close collaboration between the government, labour and business. In Britain after 1945 a more corporatist economic model was used to try to reverse economic decline, with governments consulting the trade unions. The government, trades unions and business leaders were brought together to try to plan economic activity in the early 1960s before coming under strain in the 1970s and being abandoned in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher was elected.

Pluralism

a political system in which power is diffused into several different centres within society and thus there are competing centres of power and authority rather than one in which the state is dominant. Pluralists argue that power is and should be dispersed in society, thus ensuring that freedom is maintained.

Tripartism

a variant of corporatism in which economic policy is made in conjunction with business and labour groups to the exclusion of Parliament and other interests.

Lobby

the general term used to describe the activities of pressure groups, so called because lobbyists seek to waylay MPs as they pass through the lobby of the Commons. It also refers to the off-the-record briefings given by government spokespeople to journalists.

Cause or Promotion Groups

these groups promote some particular cause or objective, perhaps the protection of some vulnerable section of society, or seek to express the attitudes and beliefs of members. They tend to concentrate on a single issue.