Unit 1: Pressure Groups - Methods summarised

Methods

Pressure groups have an enormous range of tactics and strategies at their disposal which vary in their effectiveness. One way to examine these methods would be to look at the different classifications of pressure groups and see which tactics they have in common and which are distinct to each type of pressure group.

Insider Pressure groups	Outsider Pressure groups
Remember first of all that there are three different categories of Insider Group. Wyn Grant, Politics Review, 1999 distinguished between: The Core Insider Group The Specialist Insider Group The Peripheral Insider Group	Remember first of all that there are three different categories of Outsider Group. Wyn Grant, Politics Review, 1999 distinguished between: The Potential Insider Group The Outsider By Necessity Group The Ideological Outsider Group Many of the tactics used by Insider Groups are also shared by outsider groups. However there are some forms of pressure group activity that are beyond the scope of Insiders if they wish to retain their insider status! We cannot imagine the BMA dressing up as Batman and Robin and trespassing on Crown property in order to get a point across!
The Insider Group is, of course, characterised as having a closer set of relationships with policy and decision makers.They have:Frequent CONTACTwith Government Ministers, Departments, The Civil Service, Policy Advisors to Senior Cabinet Members, Parliament and even the Prime Minister.	The following Is a list of tactics that BOTH Insiders and Outsiders might adopt.Some Outsider Groups, will sometimes make use of the services ofprofessional lobbyists, where they cannot hope to meet with ministers themselves
CONSULTATION with Government Ministers, Departments, The CivilService, Policy Advisors to Senior Cabinet Members, Parliament and even the Prime Minister.	Some Outsider Pressure Groups are likely to be involved in Green Paperconsultations
NEGOTIATIONS Government Ministers, Departments, The Civil Service, Policy Advisors to Senior Cabinet Members, Parliament and even the Prime Minister.	Some Outsider Groups will make use ofpolitical advertising in order to promote their cause or defend their members’ interests. However, because advertising is expensive this tactic is heavily resource dependent.
Particular Pressure Groups will havePRIVILEGED ACCESS to particular departments. For example the British Medical Association will have access to Heath Department officials and Ministers and the Prison Officers Association, the Home Office.	Occasionally the Pressure group will send an open letter to the newspapers in the hope of influencing both the public and the government. They may also seek to place an issue high up the political agenda through these means.
Some Insider Groups, with the exception of CORE Insider groups, will sometimes make use of the services of professional lobbyists	With the same aims in mind they may arrange interviews with the broadcast media (radio and television). Though they are less likely to obtain access to the media they may still occasionally be granted an interview.
Insider Pressure Groups are likely to be involved in Green Paper consultations	Potential insiders may have liaisons with Local Authorities devolved parliaments and assemblies and even the EU
Insider Groups will make frequent use ofpolitical advertising in order to promote their cause or defend their members’ interests. This may be done through newspapers or specialist magazines	The following are methods used almost exclusively by Outsider Pressure Groups Leafleting Street Stalls and Petitions Public Fund Raising and Donation Campaigns
Insider Pressure Groups will seek to influence the public and the public policy agenda through press releases.	Outsiders are often frustrated at the lack of government attention to their concerns. This may manifest itself in the form of demonstrations and marches as with the Stop the War coalition and the Countryside Alliance
Occasionally senior members of the Pressure group will send an open letter to the newspapers in the hope of influencing both the public and the government. They may also seek to place an issue high up the political agenda through these means.	In 1983, at Greenham Common RAF base, women’s groups organized a peace camp to protest against  the arrival and stationing of cruise missiles.
With the same aims in mind they may arrange interviews with the broadcast media (radio and television).	Groups wishing to exercise the right to roam have often used mass trespass on private property as a means of drawing attention to their cause.
Insider Pressure groups also have frequent contact and liaison with Quangos and Next Steps Agencies, the providers of public services. These also implement public policy. Decisions may not be influenced (though they nearly always are to some degree) but theimplementation of these policies can still be influenced.Similarly Insider Pressure Groups will also liaise with Local Authorities, where there is a reason for doing so.	The Fuel Protesters successfully used the tactic of blockading fuel depots, forcing the government into a review of the ‘fuel duty escalator’
Similarly Insider Pressure Groups will also liaise with the devolved Parliaments and Assemblies in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London, where there is a reason for doing so.	Some groups such as the anti globalization protesters, Reclaim the Streets and the WOMBLES, have often used violent protest as a tactic in order to achieve maximum publicity.
Many Insider Pressure Groups are now increasingly aware that a large amount of directives emanate from the European Commission and have therefore established offices in Brussels.	WOMBLES: the White Overall Movement Building Effective Libertarian Struggles. Use of Protest and disruption tactics with a wide variety of aims, but essentially to disrupt and (eventually!) bring down capitalism.

In all cases pressure groups will use a variety of methods, dependant upon their status, in order to influence public opinion, policy decisions and the decision makers themselves.