Pressure Groups Essay -- Politics, Public Engagement

Introduction Pressure groups are known to be small and extremely diverse formed on the basis of interest and activities, their functions give them a high public profile where minds are influenced and driven to make change. â€Å"A Pressure group is an organisation which seeks to influence the details of a comparatively small range of public policies and which is not a function of a recognised political party† (Baggott, 1995: p.2). An aim of pressure groups is to generate support which can influence political agendas; this can directly persuade the government to consider taking action. In this essay I will concentrate upon exploring on various issues on pressure groups, discussing the relationship between the groups, their use of the media and their status as â€Å"insiders† and â€Å"outsiders† in the political process. Pressure groups have two main types of groups the insiders and outsiders which each promote a common cause with a different relationship with the media and political party making one as an unheard voice in the public sphere. To the public Pressure groups is another form where the public can engage in politics, participating directly in the political process. I will also intricate in this essay the arguments against pressure groups from the New Right perspective to the Neo pluralist perspective as well as the growths of pressure groups due to the use of the media and their political engagement. The size of a group is a basic indicator of how much public support they get especially those that posse’s open membership, they mobilise through demonstrations, protest involving some non members through organised events. The different types of well known pressure groups that I will include are ‘Greenpeace’, ‘Child Poverty Action ... ...te and develop policies. Using a term called ‘reactive coverage’ which uses the media to put across its viewpoint and influence. â€Å"The child poverty action group used media coverage to demonstrate that an issue was of public concern and therefore reinforce a case being made civil servants† (Field, 1977, pp53- 4). Environment pressure groups i.e. ‘Greenpeace’ a well known pressure group backed by the government and the public has used the media to help change the ‘climate’ of public opinion having an immediate influence. â€Å"The growing use of the public relations and the media specialist by pressure groups reflects the influence which they believe the mass media have over public opinion and policy decisions† (Baggott, 1995: pp. 184). Other strategies that pressure groups have used are posters or press advertisement in order to get their message across to its public.