Transcript The Final Solution

Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Influences on Parliamentary
Law Making
Pressure Groups
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Starter
• Watch the following clip and in your groups discuss:
1. What they are trying to achieve and why?
2. Do you think they will be successful? (give Reasons)
3. What other options do they have to change the law?
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Fathers for Justice
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Objectives
• Describe the main features of a pressure group
• Explain why some pressure groups are
successful and others are not
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
Pressure groups as an influence on Parliament
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
What is a pressure group?
• Individuals – one to 100,000s
• Try to influence parliament to legislate on an issue
• Use a variety of methods (try to think of as many ways as
possible)
• Made more effective if they have media coverage
• Two main types:
– Sectional (interest groups)
– Promotional (cause groups)
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Types of Groups - fill in the blanks
Type of Pressure Group
Explanation
Illustration
Sectional
Cause
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Types of Groups - fill in the blanks
Type of Pressure Group
Sectional
Cause
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Explanation
Illustration
They exist to further the
interests of a particular
body of people
British Medical Association,
Trade Union Congress,
National Union of
Teachers, Law Society
They exist to further a
particular ideal
Jamie Oliver School
dinners, RSPCA Animal
Welfare Act 2006
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Sectional Pressure Groups
•
Exist to further interests of a section of society
•
Professional bodies are good examples of these
•
Degree of influence relies on governmental support for cause
•
Larger groups better supported as represent large section of society
•
Large groups are wealthy and can carry electoral support at election time
•
May have direct access to ministers and MPs
•
Because of wealth and influence of these groups it is rare for government to
introduce a law that affects these groups without consulting them
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Cause Pressure Groups
• Promote a particular ideal or belief
• Greenpeace – environment; RSPCA – animals; F4J – child access
• Influence much less
• Less likely to be consulted and less likely to have governmental
links
• Well publicised groups can have a big impact
• RSPCA used many successful methods to be a part of the Animal
Welfare Act 2006
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Cause Pressure Groups
• Sometimes one person may campaign
• Mary Whitehouse had some success Protection of
Children Act 1978
• Media is very important to these Cause Pressure
Groups
• For instance Jamie Oliver had some input to the The
Education (Nutritional Standards for School Food)
(England) Regulations 2007
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Successes and Failures
• Read the three case studies (Supplied on site).
• Identify if these are Cause or Sectional Pressure Groups.
• Identify if they were successful or not
• Try to come up with reasons why they might not have been
successful
• Do these case studies tell us anything abut the advantages
and disadvantages of pressure groups?
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Advantages
• Raise public awareness
• Raise awareness and remind parliament about
the importance of an issue
• Some have huge membership (bigger than the
the parties)
• Possess considerable expertise
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Disadvantages
• Biased in favour of their cause
• Views held passionately (leads to dodgy tactics)
• Outsider groups have no contact with Parliament
therefore have limited say in new laws
• Opinions held may only be that of a small
section of society
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Plenary
• Create a pressure group.
• Think of a name and a purpose (would you be a
sectional or cause group)
• What would be your objectives
• Devise a set of strategies to make your
campaign successful. What would you do?
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Objectives
• Describe the main features of a pressure group
• Explain why some pressure groups are
successful and others are not
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
Pressure groups as an influence on Parliament
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Parliamentary Law Making - Influences
Pressure Groups
Homework
• Answer one of these questions and write a full essay (no
less than 1 side of A4 typed). You should research your
chosen question and think critical about the campaign. I
have two films for you to watch as a helpful starter.
• Could Jamie Oliver be considered a successful Cause
Pressure Group?’
• Or
• ‘Is Gok Wan likely to be a successful cause Pressure
group?’
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