Pressure Groups and the Media and Government Essay

This essay explores pressure groups and their role in democracy and society. It also discusses how pressure groups use the media as a communication strategy to influence. Introduction Pressure groups are known to be small and extremely diverse formed on the basis of interest and activities, their functions give them a high public profile where minds are influenced and driven to make change. â€Å"A Pressure group is an organisation which seeks to influence the details of a comparatively small range of public policies and which is not a function of a recognised political party† (Baggott, 1995: p.2). An aim of pressure groups is to generate support which can influence political agendas; this can directly persuade the government to†¦show more content†¦These are high profile groups that bring about transformation to society focusing on the ability to gain access to media coverage for a high public profile. The political process can also benefit from this as they ensure that the media will concentrate on issues that will benefit them the most. â€Å"Exerting influence on government and the policy making process is the ultimate aim of pressure groups † (Lowe and Goyder, 1983, p79). In Paul Smith a ‘study of pressure group behaviour’. This quote again highlights the aim of pressure groups as they want their marginalised voices to be heard by the people that can have an immediate influence on policy making process. Body Pressure groups represent, influence and build upon the public; they have to demonstrate further political support to gain their position. Achieved through parliamentary lobbying, this is when groups are in frequent contact with the House of Commons or House of Lords. There are various reasons why groups lobby parliament, Rush (1990) explain three possible reasons one of which is â€Å"outside organisations fail to perceive parliament’s place in the policy- making process, believing it to have more influence over policy than is actually the case. The second is parliament is used when pressure elsewhere has failed and therefore is the last resort for those unable to influence ministers and senior civil servants. The third is that parliament does have an impact on policy. Groups deliberatelyShow MoreRelatedWhy Are Some Pressure Groups More Successful Than Others?875 Words   |  4 PagesWhy are some pressure groups more successful than others? A pressure group is a group of people with specific aims and interests. Also known as interest groups, lobby groups or protest groups, they try to influence political decision makers such as MPs and councillors to influence local or national policy and/or legislation. They seek to do so, either to protect interests of members (e.g. Trade Unions, NUT) or promote a cause (e.g. Greenpeace or RSPCA). Not all pressure groups are as successfulRead MoreThe Basic Concepts of a Liberal Democratic Theory of the State1204 Words   |  5 Pagesall men are created equal. In a modern Liberal democracy people enter in to a contract with those who govern them for a fixed period of time. In the U.K. this is set at 5 years although the government can choose to call an election at any time throughout this period. The government is not permitted to break this contract and cannot stay in power for any longer than 5 years without an election being held. Once an election is called all of the main political partys campaignRead MoreThe Formation Of Social Policy1658 Words   |  7 Pagesthis essay, I will be discussing how Conservatism and Socialism ideologies shape social policy in the UK. I will also be arguing that despite the United Kingdom being a democratic society, it is falling below democratic standards. At present, social media is one of the most powerful tools in shaping people’s perceptions on political ideologies, and therefore will be evaluating the extent it plays on policies as well as social conscience. The United Kingdom has two main political parties, the ConservativeRead MoreDifferent Roles of Political Parties - Government Essay860 Words   |  4 PagesParties - Government Essay In the United States, there are three major groups and they are: political party, interest group and lobbyist, and the media. These three main groups are important and each of them plays a different role. Also they can give a positive or a negative impact on the American Political System and on the people in the United States. One of the main groups is political party. A major political party can be defined as a group of people who seek in control of government throughRead MoreAustralias System of Democracy857 Words   |  3 Pageswithin Australia’s political future. Firstly, what’s pluralism? â€Å"Pluralism, in political science, is the view that in liberal democracies power is (or should be) dispersed among a variety of economic and ideological pressure groups and is not (or should not be) held by a single elite or group of elites†. [Britannica] Pluralism received added global attention in the 1960’s, due to the work of Robert Dahl, an American political scientist. Dahl linked the pluralist theory to what is known as the FirstRead MoreNgos And Freedom Of Expression1719 Words   |  7 Pagesideas through any media and regardless of frontiers† (UN 1948). Article 19 of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) â€Å"1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. 2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice† (UNRead MoreTalisman Energy Case Analysis1480 Words   |  6 PagesIraq War. The Sudanese fiasco was due to a portrayal of Talisman as a conspirator with the Sudanese government in perpetuating regional conflict and funding human rights abuses. The subsequent media firestorm and activist pressure spooked high-stakes investors who forced Talisman to withdraw. An equally dangerous and fluid political clime exists in the war-torn Kurdistan, with a regional government struggling with legitimacy and seeking foreign investment. Though the potential for profit is high andRead More‘An Act is Political when performed by a Politician.’ Essay1447 Words   |  6 Pagesare political. All politicians have political power; they have control over different parts of the government and different parts of the community. There are those in positions who can exert political power but ultimately it is the politicians that make the decisions. A pressure group can fight against a cause but it is politicians who will decide on the course of action, whether the government will introduce a bill, change the law and exert influence to stop something happening. Members of theRead MoreEssay about Why the U.S. Withdrew Its Forces from Vietnam in 1973924 Words   |  4 Pages in America, the change in public opinion and the one-sided media coverage. The major turning point for most members of the USA public and government was the Tet Offensive in 1968. Before this event, the US army believed they were winning the war because their casualties and deaths were a lot less than the north-Vietnamese army, who had lost 100,000 soldiers during 1967. The US army had fed the government information that the war was going well and that they wereRead MoreThe Western Australian Shark Cull Inititative1364 Words   |  6 Pagesshark cull initiative will be the central topic of discussion in this critical essay. A rise in shark attacks in recent years has caused the Western Australian government to employ the Department Of Fisheries Western Australia to pursue a systematic and regulated cull of sharks. However the Greens – who are a political party and pressure group – are advocating for this cull to be stopped through lobbying. I will be taking viewpoints from both sides of each party and to identify whether they acted democratically