pressure group

pressure group
   Pressure groups are private and voluntary organisations that seek to influence particular government policies but do not wish to become the government or control all government policies. They operate in the space between government and society, consulting with ministers and providing continuous opportunities for citizens to become involved in political life. Their nature and degree of influence varies from country to country. Generally speaking, business is close to government, for what government does affects business just as the decisions of businesspeople in areas such as job creation and investment have important repercussions for ministers. However, many other interests in society are also affected by ministerial decisions and wish to make their views known in the appropriate quarters. Employees are organised via the trade union movement, and various other groups represent farmers, churches and a host of civic, environmental and social causes. Groups are as diverse as they are numerous, ranging from the high-profile National Farmers’ Union to the rather more obscure groups that campaign for the provision of better public lavatories. Some 34,000 organisations are recognised by the Directory of British Associations, but there are many more that operate at the local level.
   Groups overlap with political parties but there are important differences. Notably, they wish to achieve influence, whereas parties wish to run the government. Groups are interested in one broad policy area, whereas party programmes are more wide-ranging. Also allied to group activity is that of the new social movements, more loosely knit organisations that try to influence policy on broad issues such as the environment and nuclear energy.
   Different categories of group may emphasise different access points as they go about their work. Obvious direct targets are the executive and the legislature, but groups also work via the courts, political parties, public and media campaigns, devolved bodies, local government and at the international level (for example, via the European Union).
   Further reading: D. Watts, Pressure Groups, Edinburgh University Press, 2006

Glossary of UK Government and Politics . 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • pressure group — pressure groups N COUNT A pressure group is an organized group of people who are trying to persuade a government or other authority to do something, for example to change a law. ...the environmental pressure group Greenpeace …   English dictionary

  • pressure group — UK US noun [C] ► a group of people who work together to try to influence the activities of governments, companies, etc.: »The environmental pressure group will today call for more regulation to protect the interests of local communities …   Financial and business terms

  • pressure group — n a group or organization that tries to influence the opinions of ordinary people and persuade the government to do something →↑interest group ▪ environmental pressure groups …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • pressure group — pressure ,group noun count * an organized group of people who try to persuade people and influence political decisions about a particular issue: an anti smoking pressure group …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • pressure group — n. any group that exerts pressure upon government officials and the public through lobbies, propaganda, etc. in order to affect legislation or policies …   English World dictionary

  • pressure group — ► NOUN ▪ a group that tries to influence public policy in the interest of a particular cause …   English terms dictionary

  • pressure group — index faction, lobby, special interest Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Pressure-Group — Pres|sure Group, Pres|sure|group [ prɛʃɐgru:p ], die; , s [engl. pressure group, aus: pressure = Druck u. group = Gruppe]: Interessengruppe, die [mit Druckmitteln] bes. auf Parteien, Parlament u. Regierung Einfluss zu gewinnen sucht; ↑ Lobby (2) …   Universal-Lexikon

  • pressure group */ — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms pressure group : singular pressure group plural pressure groups an organized group of people who try to persuade people and influence political decisions about a particular issue an anti smoking pressure group …   English dictionary

  • Pressure-Group — Pres|sure Group, auch Pres|sure|group [ prɛʃə gru:p] die; , s <aus gleichbed. engl. pressure group zu engl. pressure »Druck, Zwang« u. group »Gruppe«> Interessenverband, der (oft mit Druckmitteln) auf Parteien, Parlament, Regierung,… …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • pressure group — interesų grupė statusas T sritis Politika apibrėžtis Organizuota struktūra (asociacija), vienijanti visuomenės narius, turinčius bendrų interesų ir tikslų bei siekianti daryti įtaką valdžios institucijų priimamiems sprendimams, bet nesiekianti… …   Politikos mokslų enciklopedinis žodynas

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”