think tanks , lobbyists , pressure groups

• What kind of democracy do pressure groups encourage?

  pluralist democracy (where the government makes decisions as a result of interactions with various groups)
• What do causal pressure groups focus on?

  particular issue eg. greenpeace get government to adopt green methods or charities eg oxfam
• What are sectional/interest pressure groups?

  Groups that advocate for the interests of a specific section or industry within society eg teachers union , junior doctors
• What are social movement pressure groups?

  Organizations that advocate for specific social or political changes through collective action and lobbying
• What are some examples of social movement pressure groups?

  anti iraq war , blm , Brexit
• What do insider pressure groups rely on?

  type of government in power , objectives must be in line with government , special access
• What do outsider groups have in opposition to the government?

  extreme/radical ideas or those that oppose gov ideas eg 2011 'occupy London' anti capitalist or Just stop oil
• What is an example of status of a pressure group changing from insider to outsider?

  1979- thatcher excludes trade unions beginning in 1980 the employment act meant 80% of workers must agree to strike

  in post-war period unions had lots of power- 3 day weeks
• What are specific methods used by insider groups ?

  lobbying

  giving evidence to select committees (also outsiders)

  have access to specialist advice to gov/mps - eg the national farmers union

  discrete methods
• What methods do outsider pressure groups use?


  - gain publicity through social media

  • petitions , demonstrations , marches (can be violent ) eg. just stop oil
  • if well funded could have legal challenges against policy eg. the countryside alliance takes action over banning of fox hunting (2004) but fails
• How did the Just Stop Oil March gain publicity?

  blocking roads , glueing themselves to football posts
• What is a key example of a pressure greoup that uses both insider and outsider methods and why?

  British Medical Association (normally insider with conservatives), 2016 due to new junior doctor contract + strike
• What are think tanks?

  group of experts brought together to research complicated economic, social and political issues
• What is the difference between think tanks and the civil service?

  think tanks have particular political affiliations

  eg. rw - Adam Smith Institute, centre for social justice

  lw- fabian society , institute for public policy
• What to think tanks have to have to have any kind of influence?

  aligned with government ideology
• What are think tanks critiqued for?

  members using think tanks as a springboard for a political career eg. David Miliband worked for public policy research
• Further examples of MPs who worked for think tanks ?

  2022, Priti Patel, Liz Truss, Dominic Raab and Kwasi Kwarteng  were all ministers in Boris Johnson's government having been former employees of the Institute of Economic Affairs
• What did the think tank Centre for social justice do?

  introduces universal credit system - implemented by coalition
• Who set up the centre for social justice?

  Iain Duncan Smith former conservative leader
• What are polices made by think tanks like ?

  lack academic rigour, idealistic and impractical
• What were thatchers free market principles influenced by?

  centre of policy studies and adam smith institute
• Who influenced the 2022 disastrous mini-budget of Kwarteng and Truss?


  Institute of economic affairs (neoliberal views)
• What did the 2022 mini-budget of Kwarteng and Truss? contain?

  Tax cuts and deregulation
• What was done to try and regulate lobbying?


  2014-made a legal requirement, anyone lobbying has to register its activities and discuss policy / contracts with mps
• How was the corrupt nature of lobbying revealed?


  journalists go undercover, pretend to lobby for firms and offer mps money
• Where is the element of corruption in lobbying?

  offer money/job prospects for mps after leaving politics
• How much is the lobbying industry worth in Britain?


  £2billion, with over 100 firms and 4000 employees in the UK , $3.5 trillion in the USA
• what is the idea of the revolving door?

  who you know is more important than what you know eg former politicians- private lobbying
• What was the cash for questions scandal in the 1990s ?

  Neil Hamilton MPs received £2000 for asking questions for Mohammed al fayed
• What was the Bernie Ecclestone scandal?

  Tony Blair was accused of exempting Formula One from tobacco advertising ban, Ecclestone given Labour £1million
• What was the Grenshill scandal?


  After Politics Cameron becomes advisor at grenshil capital/ hold shared in company

  is paid $1 million per year

  Cameron lobbies for the company , gets matt hancock (health sec to meet and get gov to use grenshil services )
• Apart from matt hancock who. else did cameron lobby?

  Rishi sunak , tried to get grenshil influence over covid corporate financing facility

  failed and inquiry into his actions - not broken lobbying rules
• Why do corporations influence government?

  key role in UK economy / providing jobs
• How do corporations seek to influence?

  lobbying

  threaten to relocate abroad

  due to the importance gov might bail out industries

  gov may ask corporation advice /opinion on legislation if it could effect them
• How much money was given to corporations during covid?

  £7.5 billion
• Who lobbies on behalf of corporations in the UK?

  confederation of British industry

  cannot campaign themselves -only in Brexit