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Pressure groups - Coggle Diagram
Pressure groups
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Types
sectional
these are groups which support their section of society. trade unions are an example, because they protect their members.
causal
these are groups which campaign over a specific issue. an example is the NRA, because they advocate for less gun restrictions, they do not protect guns.
insider
these are pressure groups which have direct access to those inside of the executive, legislator or the judiciary. this means that they will focus on lobbying.
outsider
the opposite of insider groups. these groups do not have the same link to the government. because of this, they have to engage in "outsider tactics", like protests, or civil disobedience.
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Definitions
Elitism
A theory that political power rests with a small group who gain power through wealth, family status or intellect.
pluralism
A theory that political power does not simply rest with the electorate or the governing elite, it is distributed among groups, widely different interests.
Pressure group
An organised interest group in which members hold similar beliefs and actively peruse ways to influence the government.
Influence
the Judiciary
this group in America has the power of judicial review. this means that they can review what the other branches are doing, and state whether or not it is legal.
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reasons to join
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material benefits
WWF gives out magazines, or bags of goodies like teddies.
purposive benefits
they can be sectional groups, which will protect their members.
functions
representation
pressure groups represent groups of people, or people who share a common interest.
agenda building
pressure groups can cause governments to add certain policies in their agenda. this will further help the pressure group and their members.
education
pressure groups educate their members on problems, and solutions. it also educates their members on how their representatives have voted, and whether they have helped the group or hurt it.
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Methods
insider
lobbying is the main method used by insider groups. they convince members of government to support a bill.
outsider
these groups do not have the same link to the government as insider groups, so they engage in usually more illegal methods like civil disobedience, although usually protests are also used.
arguments
for
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freedom of speech
it is the right of every American to have their voice heard, even when what they are saying is... unpopular. pressure groups are a strong part of this, acting as a microphone for their members.
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accountability
pressure groups are able to hold members of government accountable, by publishing their miss-deeds to the public. one example is through voter cues.
against
revolving door syndrome
The revolving door is the name given to when members of the government leave their position, only to return a few years later to apply pressure to their former colleagues on behalf of a pressure group.
Iron triangle
This is where the bureaucracy, like congress, the pressure group and the body responsible for overseeing an area where the pressure group is involved all form a relationship together. Restrictions on the area of the pressure group is reduced, because the group has a strong amount of power over the body which is supposed to be limiting them.
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