Pressure Groups
Pressure groups can influence political decisions in many ways. Pressure groups represent a particular issue/issues and tries to put pressure on the government to change laws concerning their specific interest. This can take place in several different ways but methods used by insider pressure groups are different to the ones used by outsider pressure groups.
Outsider pressure groups keep their independence from the government. Because of this these pressure groups are not bound by the same code of conduct as insider pressure groups and have more freedom to protest in ways, which the Government would not approve of. Direct action is a method often used by outsider pressure groups to pressurise the Government. The types of direct action used are often illegal and dangerous. For example the Animal Liberation Group went to a mink farm and let the minks out and have also picketed laboratories and thrown stones at those who work there.
The Seat of Government
A flash mob, or 30-minute crowd-gathering, created...
City of Canterbury budget 2010−2011 072Outsider pressure groups that wish to become insiders are more likely to obey the law when they are protesting so they have more of a chance of establishing links with the government and be given the insider status.
However insider pressure groups tend to be subtler and clever in the way they apply Pressure to the government. Insider pressure groups tend to have an expertise in their area of interest and are able to research their issues very effectively. Insider pressure groups tend to have contacts with Government Officials and Civil Servants who they are able to use to get information. Civil Servants will also use the investigations carried out by these pressure groups to improve Bills. Because insider Pressure Groups spend a lot of time researching issue's that they are concerned about and discuss them formally then they gain respect from the government and...