Pressure groups

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Pressure groups

• Lecture 1
• Dr Justin Greaves

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What is a pressure group?

• A pressure group is an organization which seeks
  as one of its functions to influence the
  formulation and implementation of public policy
  (Grant 2000)

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OR

• The field of organized groups possessing both
  formal structure and real common interests in so
  far as they influence the decisions of public
  bodies (W J M Mackenzie)

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Changing times

• But are such definitions out of date?
• Some group activity now directed at private
  companies (see Grant and Greaves, 2005)
• State has shed some of its functions, with public
  tasks being carried out by private providers
• EG retailer governance

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Targeting Tesco

• Tescopoly is a coalition of eight environmental,
  women's, workers' and third world organisations
• Groups include Friends of the Earth, the GMB
  union and War on Want

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• The campaign uses the slogan 'Every little hurts'
  in a play on the Tesco slogan 'Every little
  helps'

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Differ from parties

• Party wants to win control of government or at
  least a share of office to implement policies
• Parties are broad coalitions that have to
  aggregate interests, groups often single issue
• Parties run candidates in elections, but note
  interest parties

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Social movements

• Difficult to define used in a vague way
• In contrast to Mackenzies definition may not
  have a formal structure and are usually united by
  ideas not interests

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Klandermans (1997)

• Social movements ...are populated by individuals
  sharing collective goals and a collective
  identity who engage in disruptive action

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Jordan (1998)

• There is a tendency to relabel any group using
  non-conventional strategies and tactics as social
  movements

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But distinction important

• Literature important as reminds us pressure
  groups are only one way of bringing about change
• Feminism one of the important social movements
  (impact on changing consciousness, family level,
  still few women legislators)
• Many of its goals require political action
• Pressure groups spring from it

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Social movements a summary

• Literature in sociology
• Represent people with an outsider orientation
• Seek to change elements in the existing power
  structure
• Often use direct action methods
• Opposed to conventional power politics

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Social movements summary (2)

• Do not want to influence state, want to act in
  civil society
• Loosely defined organisational structure
• Either lack clearly defined leadership or have
  charismatic leader
• Often left of centre, lifestyle politics, but
  note petrol protests

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Recent literature

• The new social movement literature has little
  space for reform-oriented single issue pressure
  groups which merely seek to change their bit of
  the world, and are reasonably comfortable with
  the state of society and politics as they find
  them surely the operating rationale of so many
  voluntary organisations? (McKay and Hilton,
  2009)

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Think tanks

• Grants definition encompasses think tanks even
  though they do not engage in lobbying
• May have a close relationship with a political
  party, e.g. Fabian Society
• Can be influential (e.g. IEA and Thatcherism,
  Adam Smith Institute and the poll tax)

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Think tanks (2)

• Demos has been proving influential
• Here is a short video clip showing their
  engagement with politicians and others

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Think tanks (3)

• Think tanks seek to change the intellectual
  climate of opinion
• Stone (1996) argued that the distinction between
  think tanks and interest groups has become
  blurred
• She argues their impact is modest. Policy making
  is mainly driven by interests, not by ideas

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Changing terminology

• A search for hurrah words to describe pressure
  or interest groups
• Stakeholders used by government and EU
• Non-governmental organisations (originated with
  UN)
• Campaigning groups
• Advocacy groups

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Your projects

• Here is some advice which should come in helpful
  for your pressure group projects

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Whats in a name?

• We dont want to restrict your choice of group
• You can study UK, American, EU or home country
  organisation but need understanding
• You can study direct action groups
• Key consideration is feasibility is there
  enough material?
• Step 1 check out web site

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Four criteria for a good website

• Useful
• Usable
• Accessible for all
• Sticky (makes people want to come back) 

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Web site design

• Does it download reasonably quickly?
• Is the site design coherent?
• Is it uncluttered?
• Is the meaning of categories clear?
• Can you find what you want quickly and easily?
  (easy to navigate)
• How would the site appear to someone wanting to
  get involved?

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Web site content (1)

• Can you join on line or download a membership
  form?
• Can you find out how to get involved in
  campaigns?
• Are illustrations relevant and appealing?
• Podcasts or videos?
• Has it been updated recently?

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Web site content (2)

• Does it provide information
• About group
• The history of group
• Methods it uses
• Its successes
• Contact details for more info

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Balance of question

• Approximate division between two parts of
  question is one third/two thirds
• Assessment of group effectiveness is core of
  second part of question
• You will be given credit for examining
  methodological problems of assessing effectiveness

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Further advice

• Make sure you answer all parts of the question
  (especially all three parts on the website).
• For the first part a comparison with another
  website can be a good idea.
• Please ensure you look at Pressure Groups and
  British Politics, Chapter 10. (available online)
  

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• Before we continue, a quite moving and
  inspirational video-clip on Amnesty International

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Types of pressure groups

• There are many ways of categorising pressure
  groups

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Causal/sectional groups

• Sectional groups represent a section of the
  community (e.g. trade unions, CBI etc)
• Cause groups represent a belief or principle
  (e.g. Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International)

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Insider/outsider typology

• Developed by Grant (1978)
• Insider/outsider groups cuts across traditional
  sectional/cause distinction
• Insider groups recognised as legitimate by
  government
• But had to abide by rules of the political game
  which imposed constraints

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Outsider groups

• A more disparate category
• Include would be insider groups, outsider
  groups by necessity
• Ideological or protest groups who do not want to
  be drawn into embrace of government
• Implication of typology that insider groups more
  likely to succeed but not always

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Aberdeen group

• Work of Jordan, McLaughlin and Maloney (94)
• Political price for entry not as high as typology
  suggests
• Large number of groups consulted

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Aberdeen Group modify typology

• Core insiders dealing with a broad range of
  issues
• Specialist insiders in policy niches
• Peripheral insiders, little influence

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Easy to become an insider

• Reinforced by work of Page (98) insiders
  outnumber pure outsiders by nine to one
• Not that hard to be placed on a consultation
  list. Blair Govt. has consultation code
• Internet lowers costs of formation, mobilisation
  and involvement
• Being involved in consultation is not same as
  real access to policy makers

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Pursuing both strategies

• One can pursue both strategies simultaneously
  Greenpeace
• But does set up tensions within a group,
  Greenpeace very hierarchical and hence can
  control them
• In some areas now insider and outsider groups
  National Farmers Union and Farmers for Action

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Most important criticism

• Nature of society and political process has
  changed
• Far more groups representing a more fragmented
  society
• Outsider groups becoming more successful, hence
  undermining one of key points of distinction
• Growth of direct action

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Next week

• More on insiders/outsiders
• Pressure groups and the internet
• Direct action strategies