Analyse and evaluate the factors that determine the success of pressure groups in the UK -
pressure groups are organisations that usually have a single interest or goal
insider vs outsider: success - -insider PGs have better access to government
-most influential derive from the financial servi...
paper 1 politics essay plans- democracy and
participation
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Analyse and evaluate the factors that determine the success of pressure groups in the UK - ✔✔✔
pressure groups are organisations that usually have a single interest or goal
insider vs outsider: success - ✔✔✔-insider PGs have better access to government
-most influential derive from the financial services industry- successive governments have been
reluctant to address the abuse of power within the FSI
-excessive influence?
Pressure groups with access to key political decision-makers, such as the prime minister and cabinet
ministers, can directly argue for their cause and interest.
Governments consult (ask advice of) certain pressure groups because of their policy expertise.
The government can use pressure groups to assess the reaction of affected groups to potential
government policies.
The CBI in economic, industrial and trade policy and the BMA in health policy have direct influence
National Farmers Union campaign against BTB. they had insider contacts at the DEFRA govt department
and their cull was supported
fail - ✔✔✔Outsider status are less successful as they have less access to those in power
-they can use direct action but legislation is usually in place in order to restrict their activities: Animal
Liberation Union
The Occupy London movement protested against corporate greed and social inequality. The group
didn't have insider access to decision-makers, and so could only influence by doing public
demonstrations to raise awareness and put pressure on decision-makers. →The City of London
Corporation only complied with one demand.
membership and wealth yes - ✔✔✔Wealthy groups can afford expensive campaigns, employ lobbyists,
sponsor political parties and purchase favourable publicity
,It is common for groups to make financial grants to political parties as a means of finding favour for their
cause or interest. Trade unions have long financed the Labour Party and many business groups and large
companies donate to the Conservatives
-Influence can be exerted in the form of funding a party or voting at a party conference. Examples:
Momentum and the Labour Party
-Diner's club: £10,000 fee to speak with a representative. A 'word in the right ear' can lead to success in
influencing policy
The more supporters a greoup has, the more pressure it can place on decision makers. Politicians do not
like to go against mass public opinion as they face losing the preceding election
-Fathers for Justice are successful due to their large membership, despite being an outsider PG
-national union for students (NUS) has over 6 million members
no - ✔✔✔Groups with less funding struggle to organise effective campaign,s ire lobbyists, fund the
production of website and leaflets and other research and thus struggle to make their voices heard
Groups with small sizes can be overlooked or 'drowned out' by the campaigns of larger groups. With
fewer people to participate and raise funds, such groups find it difficult to achieve their goals. Limited
membership makes it difficult to reach the public eye and to organise demonstrations.
-less size = low outreach and less influence
-Farmers Unions have less outreach to citizens
-less funding too
popularity and methods used - ✔✔✔--protests get noticed by politicians as they don't want to be seen
in the face of violence
-anti-poll tax 1990 resulted in success
Fathers4Justice marched outside former PM David Cameron's home in Oxfordshire in 2011 to
demonstrate their anger at his article which labelled men who abandon their families as "Feckless
Fathers" who "should be looked at like drink drivers".
-social media and celebrities: social media is available to all pressure groups. Can spread E-petitions- if it
has 100,000 signatures, the govt is obliged to debate it
, --The pressure group Hacked Off had a petition signed by 175,000 people in 2013 for the
recommendations from the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking to be implemented.
Some pressure groups pursue issues through the courts by requesting a judicial review if they feel the
govt has acted against the rule of law: Liberty against the snooper's charter
no - ✔✔✔-the group fails if they act against public opinion
-Govt is more inclined to a group that advocates popular issues.
-E.g. Coalition of marriage failed against legal recognition of gay marriages
If a goal contradicts a government policy, then it is difficult for them to get government recognition. The
BMA was opposed to a 7 day NHS yet it was in the Conservative manifesto and thus it got introduced
nevertheless
Evaluate the extent to which rights are effectively protected in the UK - ✔✔✔human rights, sometimes
known as 'natural rights', are those rights and liberties that all people are automatically entitled to. They
are, in a de jure sense, absolute, universal and fundamental. Rights refers to our civil liberties and our
individual freedoms. These include such features as freedom of expression, movement and association,
freedom of worship and thought and freedom from discrimination
Legislation protecting rights
And minority/majority rights yes - ✔✔✔The Equality Act and anti-discrimination laws-
The Equality Act was introduced in 2010 as an attempt to simplify and codify a variety of Acts of
Parliament, conventions and regulations that existed in different forms.
-The Freedom of Information Act 2000 improved transparency in public bodies. Requests can be made
to see information that is related to any public body, as long as it doesn't compromise national security.
The Expenses Scandal came to light in 2009 through a FOI request
-social contract between the state and the individual: the state must protect national security and
uphold the rights of the individual
-majority rights relate to society as a whole, minority rights apply to minority groups (e.g legislation to
combat homophobia is designed to protect the rights of a minority)
-libertarian-lefts are more concerned with protecting minority rights
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