Topic Three (1.3): Pressure Groups and Other Influences
Introduction
This topic introduces you to group politics. You will first explore different types of pressure group and consider how their methods and influence vary. You will become familiar with the work of two contrasting pressure groups (Extinction Rebellion and the British Medical Association). You will also learn about other forms of group politics, such as think tanks, lobbyists and corporations, and their influence on government and parliament. You will then consider the debate as to whether group politics is enhancing UK democracy or undermining it.
For a broad introduction to the topic, watch the following Pre-Chewed Politics lesson video in the Pressure Groups section and complete the associated worksheet:
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- 1. What are Pressure Groups and Social Movements?
WATCH – Pressure Groups Video 1 (Pre-Chewed Politics) Links to an external site.
Read and Make Notes
- Read pages 13 to 19 of Colclough and make notes from the main text. You do not need to make any notes on case studies at this point (these are covered in the ‘Tasks’ section below).
Tasks
- Watch the following Pre-Chewed Politics lesson videos in the Pressure Groups section and complete the associated worksheets.
- 2. What are the Different Ways of Categorising Pressure Groups?
- 3. What Methods are Available to Pressure Groups? Part 1
- 4. What Methods are Available to Pressure Groups? Part 2
- 5. What Factors Influence the Success of a Pressure Group?
WATCH – Pressure Groups Videos 2 to 5 (Pre-Chewed Politics) Links to an external site.
- Read the following case study of Extinction Rebellion, and make notes about this Pressure Group’s methods and influence:
- Read the case study of the British Medical Association (BMA) and the ban on smoking in cars carrying children on Colclough page 16 and note down examples of their methods and influence as a causal group here.
- Read the summary of the BMA’s dispute with the government over a new contract for Junior Doctors and note down examples of their methods and influence as a sectional group here.
READ - Junior Doctors' Row: The Basics of the Dispute (BBC News) Links to an external site.
- Watch the following Pre-Chewed Politics lesson videos and complete the associated worksheets:
- 6. Are Pressure Groups Good or Bad for Democracy? Part 1
- 7. Are Pressure Groups Good or Bad for Democracy? Part 2
WATCH – Pressure Groups Video 6 and Video 7 (Pre-Chewed Politics) Links to an external site.
- Watch the following MASSOLIT lecture:
- Using the worksheets and notes from these videos and your notes from pages 17 to 19 of Colclough, summarise the key points for and against the claim that group politics (pressure groups AND organisations such as think tanks, lobbyists, and corporations) enhance democracy.
Case Studies
- Make sure you have completed the tasks above about the two contrasting pressure groups. It is a REQUIREMENT of the syllabus that you can draw on case studies of two different pressure groups, highlighting examples of how their methods and influence vary.
- If you would like to look at a further case study, read the following article about the campaign led by the footballer Marcus Rashford (with the backing of the charity FareShare) to extend the provision of free school meals:
READ - Rashford and the Free School Meals Campaign (Politics Review) Download READ - Rashford and the Free School Meals Campaign (Politics Review)
- You might also be interested in the case study on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, in the following MASSOLIT lecture:
Wider Reading and Research
- If you would like to learn more about the work and influence of think tanks, watch the following series of MASSOLIT lectures:
WATCH – UK Politics – Think Tanks (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
- Watch the remaining MASSOLIT lectures on Pressure Groups and Lobbying (Lectures 1, 2 and 4).
WATCH – Pressure Groups and Lobbying Lectures 1, 2 and 4 (MASSOLIT) Links to an external site.
- Do some further research and come up with some more examples of successful and unsuccessful campaigns by UK pressure groups (try to include a mixture of sectional groups and cause groups). Think about why they had the level of success that they did. You may find the following resources useful:
WATCH – Pressure Groups as an Influence on Parliament (YouTube) Links to an external site.
LISTEN – Long Road to Change (BBC) Links to an external site.
- It may help your understanding of the debate over whether or not pressure groups are good for democracy to consider whether pressure groups have become more important in recent years. This question is explored in the following Pre-Chewed Politics video:
- 8. Have pressure groups become more important in recent decades?
WATCH – Pressure Groups Video 8 (Pre-Chewed Politics) Links to an external site.