Pressure Groups in the UK | AQA A-Level Politics (7152)
Pressure Groups in the UK
- 66 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Paper 1: government and politics of the UK
- Paper 1
What separates a pressure group from a party, the insider and outsider routes to influence, the argument about whether groups enrich or distort democracy, and the regulation of lobbying..
It covers what Pressure Groups Are, outsider Groups, Methods and Influence, pluralism and the Democratic Balance Sheet and think Tanks, Lobbying and the Media.
Sample questions from Pressure Groups in the UK
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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What Pressure Groups Are
Why can the sectional and promotional distinction be difficult to apply?
Show the answer
Many groups do both, since a professional body campaigning for public health is advancing a cause while also protecting its members' professional standing. -
What Pressure Groups Are
What price may a group pay for insider status?
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It must moderate its demands and avoid embarrassing the government, so it risks being drawn into defending policy rather than changing it. -
Outsider Groups, Methods and Influence
How do pressure groups use the courts to influence policy?
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They seek judicial review of ministerial decisions, arguing that a decision was unlawful, procedurally improper or irrational, which can force a policy to be reconsidered. -
Outsider Groups, Methods and Influence
How does the ideological stance of the government affect a group's chances?
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A group pushing with the grain of the government's own beliefs will find doors open, while one demanding a reversal of a flagship policy will struggle however good its evidence. -
Pluralism and the Democratic Balance Sheet
Give three ways pressure groups can damage democracy.
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Their leaders are unelected and accountable to no one, influence reflects wealth and access rather than numbers, and a well-placed minority can block measures a majority supports. -
Pluralism and the Democratic Balance Sheet
What is the elitist critique of pluralism?
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It holds that despite the appearance of open competition, a relatively small elite drawn from business, politics and the military takes the decisions that matter. -
Think Tanks, Lobbying and the Media
What did the Lobbying Act of 2014 introduce?
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It created a statutory register of consultant lobbyists and tightened the rules on spending by non-party campaigners during regulated election periods. -
Think Tanks, Lobbying and the Media
Give one example of media scrutiny forcing political change.
Show the answer
The newspaper investigation into MPs' expenses in 2009 forced resignations and prosecutions and led to an independent statutory body taking over regulation of parliamentary pay and allowances.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| What Pressure Groups Are | Recall questions on the definition of a pressure group, what separates one from a party, and the sectional and promotional types. | 15 |
| Outsider Groups, Methods and Influence | Recall questions on outsider groups such as Extinction Rebellion and the legal response to disruptive protest, the methods pressure groups use, the factors that decide their influence, and their links with parties and business. | 19 |
| Pluralism and the Democratic Balance Sheet | Recall questions on what pluralism requires, how pressure groups support a pluralist democracy and the ways they can damage it. | 11 |
| Think Tanks, Lobbying and the Media | Recall questions on think tanks and their influence, lobbyists and the Lobbying Act 2014, lobbying controversies and the case for lobbying, the influence of the media as the fourth estate, and whether the UK is pluralist. | 21 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,215 questions with their answers.