Pressure Groups and Policy Making
Pressure Groups and Policy Making In this report I am going to look at the different types of Pressure group and also their role in policy making. By the end of this report you should be able to answer the following questions: • You will be able to differentiate between Insider and Outsider pressure groups. • You will know weather some Environmental groups have achieved Insider status when dealing with Agricultural policy formation in the UK and EU. • You will see the impact of how the change in status from outsider to insider has affected the groups. What is a pressure group? “A pressure group is an organisation which seeks as one of its functions to influence the formation and implementation of public policy, public policy representing a set of authoritative decisions taken by the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, and by local government and the European Community. ... Another couple of quotes to look at to further illustrate what a pressure group is; “members act together to influence public policy in order to promote their common interests”. ... 1) These definitions show us that a pressure groups are groups of people attempting to influence public policy. ... There are two main categories of pressure groups, Insider groups and Outsider groups. Insider Groups. Insider groups are those groups that are regarded by legitimate by the government. These groups are also consulted on a regular basis. The fact that an insider is consulted on this regular basis does not always mean that they have a major influence over the outcome of the policy, does not carry with it “substantive influence over policy outcomes” (Saward 1990: 588). Within the boundaries of insider groups you also have three sub-sections or groups. These are: • High Profile or Specialist Insiders, • Low Profile or Peripheral Insiders, • Prisoner Groups or Core Insiders. These groups differ in the way that they are formed and receive funding. ... RURAL “These groups do not court publicity, choosing instead to exert influence through establishing appropriate high – level contacts. Low profile insiders are often informal groups of employers or specialists, and therefore have no significant mass membership to consider” (Winter 1996: 23). ... Countryside Agency These are groups that “find it particularly difficult to break away from an insider relationship with government, either because they are dependant on government for assistance of various kinds (e. ... Outsider Groups. Outsider groups are those that do not wish or are unable to gain government recognition.