Pressure groups and campaigns
- A pressure group tries to influence the government or public opinion on an issue, without standing for election. Examples include Greenpeace (environment) and Shelter (housing).
- Insider groups work closely with the government and are consulted. Outsider groups work outside government, using protests and publicity.
- Charities, trade unions and other NGOs (non-governmental organisations) also campaign.
Campaign methods
- Lobbying, petitions, media and social media campaigns, marches and protests, and boycotts.
- Direct action includes protests and occupations. Civil disobedience is deliberately breaking a law to make a point peacefully. Protest must stay within the law; the police have powers to manage protests.
Historic and recent campaigns
- The suffragettes and suffragists campaigned for votes for women. In 1918, some women over 30 won the vote; in 1928, women got the vote on equal terms with men at 21.
- After the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993, his family's campaign led to the Macpherson Report (1999), which found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist.
- In 2020, footballer Marcus Rashford's campaign persuaded the government to provide free school meal vouchers during the school holidays.
Does campaigning work?
- Campaigns can change laws and attitudes, give a voice to minorities and hold governments to account.
- But they can be dominated by well-funded groups, and some methods may disrupt others.
Key terms
- Pressure group
- A group that tries to influence decisions without standing for election.
- Insider group
- A pressure group that works closely with the government.
- Outsider group
- A pressure group that works outside government.
- NGO
- A non-governmental organisation, independent of the government.
- Direct action
- Taking action such as protests to achieve change.
- Civil disobedience
- Peacefully breaking a law to make a point.
- Boycott
- Refusing to buy or use something as a protest.