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Influences on Parliament - Coggle Diagram
Influences on Parliament
Pressure groups
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What do they do?
-Bring awareness to the Government (needed influences), to cause changes.
-Lobbying MPs, civil servants and local government, to seek direct influence to develop a bill.
Sectional Groups
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EXAMPLES
National farmers union under Agriculture Act- were consulted on the disease foot and mouth, resulting against mass vaccination.
British medical society- campaigning and lobbying, the ban on smoking in public.
ADVANTAGES
Able to raise public awareness of matters affecting their interests or cause
E.g. AllOut - a group working for international LGBT - primarily uses new media to advertise campaign. The produce online petitions, YouTube videos, encourage protest against injustice and abuse suffered by LGBT people. They also stage events like flash mobs
Remind Parliament about the importance of issues that the public believe to be important
*E.g. Environmental pressure groups have gained greater influence on all political parties as public has become concerned about global warming (car tax rates changed in favour of smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles)*
Sound knowledge on their interests and causes in order to put their point across convincingly - therefore laws enacted as a result of pressure groups should benefit from a lot of expertise
E.g. Jamie Oliver is an expert on nutrition, able to advise on key foods that should and shouldn't be available to children at school
DISADVANTAGES
Members are often very passionate, they may resort to undesirable tactics like violence or criminal behaviour to promote their cause
E.g. Animal activists have damaged scientific animal testing labs and threatened workers and their families, members of Countryside Alliance and Fathers 4 Justice have demonstrated in The House of Commons
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They are quite biased in favour of their own interest. Campaigns by pressure groups may not present a balanced argument
E.g. Fathers 4 Justice may not understand that the courts and mothers are trying to achieve the best outcome for their kids
Cause Groups
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EXAMPLES
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Stonewall (gay rights) campaigned for legislation recognising same sex marriage- the Civil Partnership Act 2004
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