Democracy in Scotland Pressure Groups In this section

Democracy in Scotland Pressure Groups

In this section you will learn… • • • What pressure groups are The purpose of pressure groups The aims of pressure groups The methods they used Examples of pressure group action

What are pressure groups and how do they affect political decision making? Watch the following clip. Be prepared to discuss with the class.

1) What is a pressure group? • A pressure group is an organisation made up of like minded people • They share a similar view or goal • Pressure groups usually want to change something • They wish to see the government take action in support of their issue • A group is more powerful than an individual (means they have more money, persuasive, catch media) Can be: - Small, local, only exist for a short period of time (ie – campaign to stop a school closure) - Large, international groups aiming to change more than one thing

What is a pressure group? These have open membership from the public. They promote a cause, eg Friends of the Earth, which is concerned with protecting the environment. These are open only to certain individuals, like the members of a trade union, eg the National Union of Journalists.

2) The purpose of a pressure group • There are thousands of pressure groups in the UK and they vary in size from a small group of locals protesting about the building of a new supermarket up to multinational organisations protesting about global warming. • Pressure groups do not want to be in government or in mainstream politics, as they have an interest only in one particular issue.

• Pressure groups allow people the opportunity to participate in democracy by being involved in social change without necessarily joining a political party. • In some ways, pressure groups may be viewed as essential to democracy because they allow the free expression of opinion and the opportunity to influence governments. Because of this, pressure groups are not tolerated in non-democratic countries.

The founding principles of the Scottish Parliament give pressure groups opportunities to directly influence government policy. It encourages responsible participation in the democratic process.

Pressure groups want to see the government take action in one area like the environment, animal welfare, the elderly, helping the poor in Africa or the UK… Task: how many pressure groups can you name? Make a list in your jotter.

Case Study 1 • Animal Defenders International • Protesting against animals in captivity in Aberdeenshire http: //news. stv. tv/north/299843 -demonstration -held-over-welfare-of-lions-and-tigers-at-circushigh-school/

Case Study 2 • Friends of the Earth Scotland • Against Fracking • Letter writing campaign (trying to get people to email their MSP/MP to block fracking)

Case Study 3 • Greenpeace along with other PGs • Petition against fracking • #Frack. Free

Case Study 4 • • Scrap Trident Coalition Demonstrations Blockade Faslane Arrests made 2013

Memory Relay Race • Relay race rounds: 1. Names of pressure groups *Extra points for identifying if it is a cause or interest group 2. Methods of pressure groups *Extra points for giving an example of a pressure group using it

3) What are the aims of pressure groups? • Every pressure group will have a different set of aims. • A pressure group may only have one aim. For example the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) wants nuclear weapons to be scrapped completely by all nations. It will continue to campaign until this happens.

• On the other hand, some groups have many aims and many campaigns, such as the Woodhill Residents’ Group which is a small pressure group in the Bishopbriggs area of East Dumbartonshire that campaigns on a number of issues in the area. • This has included banning phone masts, town centre regeneration and reducing speed limits.

Friends of Union Terrace Gardens • The controversial plan to replace a Victorian park in the centre of Aberdeen with a modern park and buildings. • The project had been controversial from the start. It had been proposed by local oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood, who had promised to invest £ 50 million in the scheme • The existing park, Union Terrace Gardens, had been designed by the architects who also built many of the granite buildings for which Aberdeen is famous. • Opponents of the project formed a campaign group known as Friends of Union Terrace Gardens. The campaign group held a mass picnic in the gardens on 12 June 2010 which attracted over a thousand people and generated nearly 400 letters to councillors opposing the plans. • Aberdeen council rejected the City Garden project.

Why do people join? • • They may share the same views or goals Opportunity to participate in democracy Share expert knowledge More muscle! Explain, in detail, why people get involved in pressure groups.

Rights and Responsibilities • The right to demonstrate • The right to publicise their cause • The right to contact politicians • The right to speak freely • The responsibility not to break the law • The responsibility to speak the truth • The responsibility to not threaten or intimidate • The responsibility to not verbally abuse people

Methods of Pressure Groups

What methods do pressure groups use? "Insider" and "outsider" groups • As reflected across the UK, special interest bodies in Scotland take the form of 'outsider' and 'insider' groups, depending on the political perspective of the party in power. • http: //www. bbc. co. uk/education/clips/zy 8 q 6 sg • Outsider groups are those whose aims do not have the support of the government. They tend to adopt media based, high profile campaigns to capture public attention. For example, the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (Scottish CND). • Scottish CND would like to see the UK give up its nuclear weapons, which are based in Scotland. Scottish CND therefore, has to resort to protests and internet campaigns, lobbying the Government from the outside.

• http: //www. bbc. co. uk/education/clips/ztg 9 jxs • By contrast, insider groups have the support and attention of government and officials who will often approach them for advice as well as having regular discussions. • A good example of an insider group is the British Medical Association (BMA Scotland). It supports government plans to tackle problem drinking and has offered expert medical advice to the Scottish Government. Insider groups will rarely organise demonstrations or marches. Instead they will rely on frequent meetings with the Scottish Government, often behind the scenes and away from the cameras to influence decision making.

Recap • Which of the following statements are correct: • 1. Pressure groups want to be elected so they can influence policy • 2. Insider pressure groups are consulted by the Government • 3. Pressure groups are always set up to tackle one single issue • 4. Interest groups are open to members of the public.

Methods used by Pressure Groups 1. Contacting decision makers Pressure groups contact MPs, MSPs or Local Councillors. A pressure group may also arrange a meeting with a representative in order to lobby for his or her support.

2. Petitions • Pressure groups use public petitions to show decision makers that the public feel strongly about their issue. • For example, in March 2016, Greenpeace launched a petition to stop Hinkley nuclear power plant.

3. Marches, demonstrations and rallies • Pressure groups can arrange public protests as long as they give notice to the authorities and conduct them in a legal manner. • For example, CND have protested at Faslane in Scotland. • This can be a very effective way of getting the medias attention and promoting an issue.

4. Poster, leaflets and internet campaigns • Most pressure groups ask for donations or a membership fee from their followers. • This allows them to pay for campaign material such as posters and leaflets. • They also pay expenses for volunteers to approach people in busy city centres to sign petitions and make donations. • Large pressure groups like Amnesty international create Internet viral campaigns and use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to promote their cause.

5. Mass Media • Some pressure groups make effective use of television, radio and newspapers to promote their cause and put pressure on decision makers. • This could be small scale such as appealing in a local newspaper, or it might involve the appearance of a panellist on a national television current affairs programme such as question time.

Task In groups, make a poster on the methods PGs use, with full explanations and examples.

Issues with Pressure Groups

Task • In groups of three, pick one person to be the representative, one to be the quiz master and the other to be the teacher • The quiz master must make up questions on unlawful methods for the representative to answer • Meanwhile, the teacher must teach the representative about unlawful methods.

1. Law Breaking In 2012, Greenpeace shut down 74 Shell petrol stations in London and Edinburgh to protest about oil drilling in the Arctic. 24 arrests in total.

Student Riots, London In 2010 a large student protest in London against a rise in tuition fees in England Wales ended in violence when 14 police officers were injured and shop windows smashed. The protests did not force a U-turn by the government but did greatly raise awareness of the issue by the general public.

2. Unfair Influence • Pressure groups, especially large groups, are sometimes criticised of having unfair influence on government decision making. • Pressure groups are undemocratic and do not shape their policies based on their members wishes.

3. Popularity There is a belief that traditional politics is outdated and people, especially young people, find that the alternatives offered by pressure groups is much more connected to their way of thinking.

Practice Question Explain, in detail, why do some pressure groups choose to break the law? 4 Marks

Practice Questions • Answer the following questions in your jotter. Remember to PEE (Point, Explanation, Example) • Be prepared to swap answers with a partner. They will give you a mark out of 6 for each question.

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Specimen Paper – National 5

• Candidates can be credited in a number of ways up to a maximum of 4 marks. • Demonstrations/protest, e. g. recent protests outside the House of Commons concerning student fees. • Petitions—including e-petitions. • Actions to attract media attention, e. g. Greenpeace campaign against whaling. • Lobbying—contacting elected members of the parliament in order to try to gain their support. This can be done by pressure groups themselves or they may employ advisors, i. e. professional lobbyists. Also mass lobbying. • Direct action—disruptive and often illegal forms of protest, e. g. the Faslane peace camp, hunt saboteurs, anti-abortion groups.

Intermediate 2 (2014) Explain question! – you must link back to the question

• The candidate is required to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a complex political issue by providing detailed explanations. • Award up to three marks for an explanation, depending on quality, level of detail, relevance, accuracy and exemplification and which shows various factors interacting. • Candidates who only give examples of pressure group methods should be awarded a maximum of 2 marks. • Credit reference to aspects of the following: – demonstrations/protests may be successful if they receive a lot of media attention and attract a large amount of support from public/members etc – petitions may be successful if they are signed/supported by large numbers of people e. g. e-petitions may attract a lot of support as they are easy to complete – direct action/strikes may be successful if they cause a large amount of disruption and force government to take action – professional lobbying may be successful if lobbyists have direct access to those in power and if government is sympathetic to views of pressure group. – Any other valid point.

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