Pressure Groups and Rights

• Pluralist democracy


  An interplay of ideas and arguments
• Pressure groups


  • Casual pressure groups
  • Sectional pressure groups
  • Insider pressure groups
  • Outsider pressure groups
• Casual pressure groups


  • Focused on a particular goal
  • Membership is open to all
• Sectional pressure groups


  • Focused on representing a sector of society
  • Closed membership
• Sectional pressure group


  • Trade unions
• Insider pressure groups


  • Close relationship with the government and decision making
• Outsider pressure groups


  • Don't have close links with the government
  • Will seek other ways of influence decisions by utilising the press
• BMA - British Medical Association


  • Sectional pressure group as its a closed group only open to medical staff
  • Insider pressure group as they do lobbying and negotiations close to the government
• Major aims of BMA


  • Represent and negotiate medical staff and students
  • Improve legislation to support medical staff
• Campaigns fought by BMA


  • Junior doctor campaign
  • Covid 19 PPE
• BMA success - PPE for covid-19
• BMA failures - Opposed the NHS - getting pay rise with strikes
• Tactics used by BMA


  • Lobbying
  • Strikes
  • Campaigns
  • Negotiations
• CBI - Confederation of British Industry


  • Sectional pressure group as you have to be a part of a business
  • Insider pressure group was linked to government, due to sexual misconduct allegations is now an outsider
• Major aims of CBI

  • Catalyst between industry and government
• Campaigns fought by CBI


  • Fit to grow which helped smaller business expand
  • Furlough
• CBI success - Furlough - reduced self isolation time
• CBI failure - CBI scandals
• Tactics used by CBI


  • Lobbying
  • Very close links with government
• Just Stop Oil


  • Causal pressure group as anyone can join
  • Outsider pressure group due having no government ties and with public stunts
• Major aims of Just Stop Oil


  • Environmental reform using civil resistance
  • Traffic disruption
  • New fossil fuel production
• Campaigns fought by Just Stop Oil


  • Stop the production of fossil fuel
  • Help preserve nature
• Just Stop Oil success - Getting media attention
• Just Stop Oil failures - Some protests resulted in arrest and imprisonment - anger general public
• Tactics used by Just Stop Oil


  • Disrupt traffic, sporting events
  • Achieve publicity
• Greenpeace


  • Causal pressure group as anyone can join
  • Outsider pressure group as funded by public, not by government (£11.8m in the UK)
• Major aims of Greenpeace


  • Protect natural world from destruction
  • Protect wildlife
  • Stop pollution
• Campaigns fought by Greenpeace


  • Alternative future
  • People Vs Oil
• Greenpeace success - Global nuclear testing ban - UN treaty - Ban of petrol cars was in 2030 now pushed back to 2035
• Greenpeace failure - Faked signatures for stop fracking - Damaged culture and economies - False advertising(used different images to show the great barrier reef)
• Tactics used by Greenpeace

  • Investigate and document, expose
  • Lobbying
  • Peaceful protest
• PETA


  • Causal pressure group as anyone can join
  • Outsider pressure group as there are no government links
• Major aims of PETA


  • Defend the animals rights and end their suffering
• Campaigns fought by PETA


  • Urge the prevention of coconut oil
  • Promote veganism
  • Deforestation
  • Sea world cruelty
  • Stop animals performing in zoos
• PETA success - Working with universities on testing without animals, banned animal testing in testing in cars safety
• PETA failure - 1198 cats put down when rescued by peta, 84% of animals killed within 24hrs, 58 companion animals 54 were killed
• Tactics used by PETA


  • Public stunts which disrupt public events
  • Costumes
• Methods and Tactics of pressure groups


  • Lobbying
  • Research
  • Evidence at hearing
  • Public campaigns
  • Public demonstrations
  • Publicity stunts
  • Civil disobedience
  • Strikes
  • Celebrity endorsement
  • Test cases to court
  • Digital campaigns
• Why pressure groups fail?

  • The government resist pressure
  • The goal contradicts government policy
  • Countervailing forces
  • Contradicts public opinion
  • Group alienates the public
• Why pressure groups succeed?

  • Insider status
  • Wealth
  • Large membership
  • Effective management
  • Expertise
  • Celebrity endorsement