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Pressure Groups

Pressure Groups. The Politics of Persuasion and Influence. Introduction. Waves of interest Samuel Beer S.E. Finer 1958 ‘anonymous empire’ Wyn Grant 2005 Overall theme: groups central to policy process. Additional Reading. Wyn Grant (2005)

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Pressure Groups

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  1. Pressure Groups The Politics of Persuasion and Influence

  2. Introduction • Waves of interest • Samuel Beer • S.E. Finer 1958 ‘anonymous empire’ • Wyn Grant 2005 • Overall theme: groups central to policy process

  3. Additional Reading Wyn Grant (2005) ‘Pressure Politics: A Politics of Collective Consumption’, Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 58, No.2, pp.366-379.

  4. Structure of Lectures • Defining pressure groups • Categorising pressure groups • Their functions • Why do govts listen to groups? • How do groups influence? (strategies) • Groups and Democracy

  5. Definition (1) • ‘Organisations … trying to influence the policy of public bodies in their own chosen direction; though (unlike political parties) never themselves prepared to undertake the direct government of the country’ (Finer 1966).

  6. Definition (2) • ‘A pressure group is an organisation which seeks as one of its functions to influence the formulation and implementation of public policy …’ (Grant 1989).

  7. Other terms • Jordan and Richardson 1987 ‘GROUP’ • Finer ‘LOBBY’ • Marsh ‘INTEREST GROUPS’

  8. Different from Parties • Do not seek to govern • Seek to influence public policy on a restricted range of issues (groups = policy specialists)

  9. Categories: Interest and Cause INTEREST GROUPS CAUSE GROUPS Membership restricted Membership open Protect members’ interests Further interests of others Examples: CBI, BMA, NFU Examples: CPAG, RSPCA Also known as sectional Also known as attitude or promotional groups

  10. Functions of Pressure Groups • Representation • Participation • Education • Setting the Political Agenda/Policy Formation • Programme Monitoring

  11. Why Do Govts Listen to Groups? • Members • Information • Implementation Power • Financial Muscle

  12. Implementation ‘S/he who implements decides’ Pressman and Wildavsky 1973 Implementation

  13. How Groups Influence: Insiders and Outsiders • Insider Strategy = low-profile, responsible • Outsider Strategy = high profile, media orientated • Thresholder Strategy = pursue a mixture of 'outside' and 'inside' strategies'

  14. Types of insiders and outsiders INSIDER STATUS • Core Insider Group • Specialist Insider Group • Peripheral Insider Group OUTSIDER STATUS • Outsider Group by Ideology or Goal • Outsider Group by Choice

  15. Groups and Democracy • Pluralism (Dahl, Lindblom, Truman) • Elitism • Neo-pluralism See Jordan and Maloney

  16. Pluralism • Groups key linkage between people and govt • Groups compete • No one group dominant • Group resources substitutable • Rough approximation of public interest

  17. Elitism • Real power held by few groups • Proliferation of groups proves nothing about real power • Power concentrated/ unequally distributed • Groups with power=large corporations • Other groups can win small battles, but corporate elites almost always win

  18. Neo-Pluralism • Power of business acknowledged • So, pressure group system imperfect • But pressure group system still defended as means of creating good public policy

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