Pressure Groups Influencing Gov Decision Making

• Introduction


  This essay will discuss ways that citizens, specifically pressure groups, can influence the governments decision making. Since the government are democratic, they will have to be considerate of how they come across to the public as they strive for electoral approval and want to be voted in, which gives the public a lot of influence. The methods pressure groups use to influence discussed in this essay include; consultations, petitions and lobbying.
• Point & Expand - Consultations

  One effective way that pressure groups can influence the government is by responding to consultations. The government will often seek out the views of organisations who may have expertise on changes it proposes. The response it receives can influence the choices the government makes, particularly if the response indicates a specific issue might be popular or controversial.
• 1st Example - Consultations

  The Scottish Government recently consulted tougher penalties for people who harm wildlife. The Law Society, an insider pressure group responded with their experience and the proposal became law in 2020.
• 1st Analysis - Consultations

  Governments are likely to pay close attention to pressure groups made up of experts related to the issue being consulted on. Particularly experts in law such as lawyers.
• Rebuttal & Expand - Consultations

  Arguably, pressure group views could have no influence at all on government decision making. Just because the government issues a consultation doesn't mean they have to accept the responses or act on them. A government may consult to look like it takes pressure groups views into account but have already made up their mind.
• 2nd Example - Consultations

  Recently, the UK Government consulted on letting disabled people vote electronically, then took a year to respond by rejecting the idea despite the Royal National Institute for the Blind supporting it.
• Link/Evaluation - Consultations

  Therefore, consultations are not effective in influencing the government as even some expert pressure groups such as the RNIB were still ignored by the government.
• Point & Expand - Petitions

  One way that pressure groups can influence government decision making is setting up and signing a petition. Petitions are often started by groups to demand action. The more people that sign it the more influential it can be as the government may worry about upsetting the signatories who could be future supporters for them or an opponent.
• 1st Example - Petitions

  In 2019, the UK Government supported the introduction of Finns Law after the Finns Law Group set up a petition that received over 130,000 signatures. This law gave greater protection to police dogs and horses after the police dog Finn was stabbed.
• 1st Analysis - Petitions

  The ability of this pressure group to get the government to get the government to introduce and pass a new law suggests that petitions can be very influential.
• Rebuttal & Expand - Petitions

  As effective as it might be in some cases, some petitions are not always practical or in the interests of the government to support it. This means that the government may decide to reject the petition or not even respond to it as they might feel that it wont harm them to not do as the petition asks. Petitions are also often an absolute statement leaving the government little choice but to accept or reject.
• 2nd Example - Petitions

  The Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) pressure group first tried to use a petition to change the law of the Scottish education at the start of their campaign but this was rejected by the government. TIE were later successful by lobbying, suggesting this method didn't work for them.
• Link/Evaluation - Petitions

  Therefore, the fact that TIE was later successful using a different method tells us that Petitions are not always a good way of influencing the government.
• Point & Expand - Lobbying

  Pressure groups will often try and lobby the government to get support. This means meeting directly with members of the government in an attempt to try and persuade them to support the group. These face to face discussions allow for negotiations to take place, compromises to be found and perhaps a way forward that pleases both sides.
• 1st Example - Lobbying

  In 2021 Scotland became the first country in the world to have a LGBT inclusive education system because the TIE pressure group lobbied enough MSPs and Government ministers eventually gaining their support.
• 1st Analysis - Lobbying

  Ultimately the Government has made such a globally historic commitment suggests that lobbying of ministers can be one of the most effective methods.
• Rebuttal & Expand - Lobbying

  However, only some groups have success not all do. This might be because it has more to do with the change they want and how sympathetic the government might be to it. If the issue is one that the government is against it can be very hard to get access to members of the government directly as their diaries are protected and often there is security.
• 2nd Example - Lobbying


  The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has been lobbying MPs in parliament for over 40years but the UK government has remained committed to having nuclear weapons no matter what party is in power.
• Link/Evaluation - Lobbying

  Therefore, since some groups spend years and years trying to influence the government with little to no success it suggests that his method may be more effective depending on the issue of the group.
• Conclusion

  Overall, all of these methods are somewhat effective in influencing the governments decision making however Lobbying is the most effective as it has worked many times and caused the government to make decisions or rethink and change previous ones, whereas the others are likely to be ignored.