What are the least democratic Pressure Groups and why?

What are the Least Democratic Pressure Groups and Why?

Pressure groups are often praised for their role in ensuring a nation is democratic, they allow general citizens to participate in politics in order to influence government legislation and actions. However there is a negative side to pressure groups, not all are completely democratic, and some lack it all together. This can occur in a number of different ways, its these ways which I shall examine.

To begin with there is one major democratic flaw with a lot of Pressure groups, this being that their leaders are not democratically elected via a vote. So for example in a lot of cases the founder of a particular group remains its leader until he or she feels it is time to stand down, very rarely do elections occur. Additionally in a liberal and democratic society any leader or group should speak truthfully when referring to statistics as well as making sure they are accountable for them and their groups actions. This can also include the actions of their supporters when on strikes or protest, etc.

A second undemocratic aspect of Pressure Groups is the fact that their size doesn't mean they are more likely to be heard, for example it all comes down to their status. If a pressure group is insider or outsider can directly correlate to how much influence they can wield over the government. Insider groups, such as the BMA are often seen as very influential as their closeness to the government can mean that they can meet regularly and negotiate actions and legislation. Therefore a large outsider group (which represents a greater percentage of views) may have little impact on the government compared to a small insider group, this is not only unfair but also undemocratic. The CBI is a some what small pressure group however it works extremely closely with the Conservative government, this gives them greater influence over the conservative party, however the conservatives can be said to retain influence over them, its likely that if Labour were in power the CBI would loose its influence and be replaced by the Trade Unions.

The CBI also are undemocratic as they do not elect their chairman, he or she is put in place by a committee, additionally you must be a wealthy business owner to be consider for the position, making it extremely unlikely that you or me could be candidates for such a role. Even then the President of the CBI can be advised by the committee, meaning that they hold little to no power.
Overall almost all Pressure Groups are guilty of being undemocratic, the fact that they decide not to elect a leader through a voter is the biggest democratic downfall. Furthermore its often stated that even the smallest insider group can influence the government greater than a large outsider group, meaning that the majority of gets ignored.

Why are some Pressure Groups more successful than others?

Why are some Pressure Groups more successful than others?

Pressure groups are often sources of media attention in the UK, for many, their strikes and protests are widely covered and some even gain government responses. However are many pressure groups really that successful in influencing government policy and actions? If so why and is any specific group more successful than another?

To begin with lets look at an example of a relatively successful pressure group, the British Medical Association, this pressure group supports and fights for the rights of NHS doctors as well as junior doctors. It has tens of thousands of members with in the UK and holds great influence over the government to this day, and in recent times has succeeded in changing the governments actions. One reason as to why this sectional pressure group has seen success is due to its status as an insider pressure group, this means that the group works and hold talks with the government (Mainly with the Health secretary). The fact that the group works with the the state reveals that the government knows the power this group wields, recently the government buckled under the pressure of the BMA and gave into threats of a strike. They opened into negotiations as they feared the strike of thousands of doctors could potentially cripple the NHS. Another reason why this group may see success is the fact that the public greatly supports this pressure group, protests are often made up of regular civilians as well as doctors, making the group that much more intimidating.

Generally insider groups can have a greater impact on the government when compared to an outsider group, pressure groups which are promotional and insider can be some what assured that it will have the opportunity to influence the government whilst still gaining support. Promotional groups, which are open to all members of society, have a greater chance at influencing the government through protests , as their large numbers an sway the government. However its the need to be an insider group that is important, this gives you some what frequent meetings with government to discuss your ideas on their legislation and actions. If your pressure group is outsider and fights for an extreme ideology its likely, that not only will you lack support from the people, but you're very likely to be ignored or opposed by the government and Parliament. 

Finally the methods used to influence the government can impact the successfulness of a pressure group. Some examples of methods commonly used include : Strikes, protests, rallies, lobbying, e-petitions and boycotts. The aim for a large majority of these is to disrupt a certain aspect of society, however almost all modern pressure groups go about achieving this in a non-violent manor. When done with a large number of people media attention can be gained , this increases peoples awareness of your cause , in turn giving you additional support from the people and even some MPs. Violent protests or rallies can end up loosing you support and the government is unlikely to want to negotiate with you. So aim to be peaceful, disrupt everyday life and try to work with the government to succeed as a pressure group.