In my last blog post, we looked at some of the advantages of pressure groups and how the way that they influence Parliament can actually help the law-making process, ensuring that citizens have a way to directly influence this and holding Parliament accountable for its decisions. This time, we will be considering the other side of this debate – the disadvantages of pressure groups.
We will start by briefly reviewing what pressure groups are and how they influence Parliament, then move on to consider the ways in which this can actually be a disadvantage for the law-making process.
What are Pressure Groups?
Pressure groups are organisations that seek to influence the law-making process by influencing Parliament, rather than by actually standing for election themselves. They can broadly be divided into two types – insider and outsider groups. Insider groups are those which have a close connection to Parliament and are often invited to give their views on topics that affect them. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is an example of an insider group.
Outsider groups are those that don’t have any close ties to Parliament and are not usually consulted while legislation is being created. However, they still try to influence law-making by campaigning in the media and attracting public attention.
Pressure groups can also be divided into two other categories – interest groups and cause groups. Interest groups are sometimes called sectional groups or functional groups. Membership is limited to those who share particular characteristics, such as an occupation. Interest groups aim to advance or protect their members’ interests. The NFU is also an example of an interest group.
In comparison, cause groups (also called promotional or issue groups) are those that are motivated by a particular cause that their members feel passionately about, such as animal welfare. Members do not directly benefit from the group’s work; instead, their goal is altruistic, trying to influence the law to reflect what they think is right. Membership is open to all people who share the cause groups particular values and attitudes. Amnesty International is one well-known cause group.
What are the Disadvantages?
Biased
One of the most frequent criticisms of pressure groups is that they tend to be biased towards their own goals, as you might expect. This can be a case of them promoting their own interest or cause above all others, which can lead to other, equally important issues going unnoticed.
Alternatively, there may be two or more pressure groups in direct conflict, with both of them wanting something that will benefit their pressure group but be detrimental to the other. Parliament cannot possibly create legislation that benefits all pressure groups, so which one should they pick?
As mentioned in my blog post about the advantages of pressure groups, Parliament sometimes uses the expertise that pressure groups give. However, if there are two conflicting sources of advice, it is unclear who they should rely on, especially as pressure groups might present an exaggerated view of events to try to secure Parliament’s support.
This then harms the law-making process as Parliament (and the general public) can be getting biased advice that does not truly represent what the issues at stake are. For legislation to be fair, it needs to be based on a balanced argument, without any bias.
Overrepresent Minority Opinion
Another problem with pressure groups is that they can sometimes give a disproportionate amount of attention and power to a minority opinion. This can be good, as it makes sure that minorities still get a say in the law-making process, which is vital for democracy, but this is less good if it overshadows the rest of the population. For example, the NFU represents only a small proportion of the population; nevertheless, as an insider pressure group, they have significant sway over Parliament and the creation of legislation.
This can be undemocratic as law-making should represent all people, being a cross-section of the population as a whole. In particular, some pressure groups with minority views have a lot of wealth and influence, which they then use to further their own issues. This gives them significantly more power over the law-making process than you would expect that particular group to have if the cross-section model was used.
Offensive Views
Some pressure groups also hold views that would be offensive to most. The very fact that they are offensive often gets them disproportionate media coverage, meaning that the views of the population are misrepresented. Their campaigning can also be distressing to others and cause tension within a community.
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you understand some of the disadvantages of pressure groups. In my next blog post, we will be considering the defences in criminal law, so come back in two weeks for that!
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