In this blog post, we will be considering pressure groups. These are groups or organisations that try to influence Parliament and the legal process. We will start by looking in more detail at what pressure groups are, then consider some of the ways they try to influence law-making. We will also be looking at the effects pressure groups can have in a later blog post, as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of their influence.
What is a Pressure Group?
A pressure group is an organisation that seeks to influence law-making and government policy by campaigning about a particular issue or for a particular group of people, such as teachers. They don’t try to influence law by standing for election. They are sometimes also called interest groups, lobby groups or protest groups.
What are the Different Types of Pressure Groups?
Insider and Outsider Groups
Pressure groups can be divided into two main types – insider and outsider. Insider groups are those that have some standing in Parliamentary process and are regularly consulted by the government, such as the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). As they are consulted, they can directly influence the law-making process from the inside, especially if their views carry a lot of weight.
Outsider groups are those that are never or very rarely consulted by the government in the law-making process. They may find it harder to have much influence on the decisions being made, as they have no direct access to these discussions. However, they can still campaign for the changes they would like.
Cause and Interest Groups
As well as being categorised as either insider or outsider groups, pressure groups can also be divided up into cause and interest groups, which focus on different things. We will look at some of the features of both of these and the differences between them.
We will start by considering what cause groups are. These are, as you might expect, groups focused around a particular cause or principle. This is likely to be quite a specific ideal that its members believe in and would like to be supported by government and in law-making. They campaign for their cause to get attention and be incorporated into the law.
The membership of cause groups is open to anyone who wants to join and shares their view on the cause concerned. Members can be from across all political parties and views. Cause groups tend to be driven by moralistic (in their view) reasons and are dedicated to influencing Parliament to follow this point of view. Amnesty International and the RSPB are both cause groups.
Interest groups are those that represent a particular section of society, such as farmers, teachers, consumers or religious and ethnic groups. Trade unions and professional bodies are also interest pressure groups. This type of pressure group is sometimes also called a sectional, protective or functional group.
Membership of an interest group is limited to people who are part of that particular section of society, so only teachers can join an interest group for teachers, for example. However, there may be some exceptions where someone is closely linked with the section of society and has a reasonable stake in matters concerning it.
Interest groups seek to protect and advance the interests of their membership. Members’ interests are focused around benefits for themselves, rather than society as a whole. They should benefit directly from any effect that the pressure group has on Parliament. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) are both examples of interest groups.
Examples of Pressure Groups
NFU
We will now consider a couple of examples of pressure groups that try to influence the UK Parliament, starting with the National Farmers’ Union. This is an insider group, as it is consulted by the government on issues that concern it. It is also an interest group, as it represents an occupation – farmers and growers from across England and Wales.
Currently, the NFU has around 55,000 members that fall into its Farmers and Growers category, with another 34,000 Countryside members. It is the leading industry association in England and Wales and has offices across both countries, providing professional representation to its members, as well as offering additional services and discounts. It also takes its members’ concerns to Parliament and is regularly consulted by Parliament.
Amnesty International
This is a non-governmental organisation focusing on human rights. This makes it a cause group, as it aims to raise awareness of human rights issues and try to help. They are an outsider group but have sometimes been consulted by the United Nations.
Wrapping Up
I hope that you now feel more confident writing about pressure groups! It really helps if you have some examples of pressure groups to give, so try to learn a few of these. In my next blog post, we will be looking at how pressure groups influence law-making, so come back in two weeks for that!
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