Why Are Some Pressure Groups More Successful Than Others

1063 Words5 Pages
Why are some pressure groups more successful than others? Some pressure groups are most definitely more powerful and successful than others, whether this is by affecting government policy, creating more awareness of an issue within the government and the public or changing peoples views. There are six main factors that can affect a pressure groups success, wealth, size, organisation and leadership, the government’s views, popular support and the effectiveness of the opposition are these main factors. Firstly, wealth is a massive factor that can influence a pressure groups success, as the government always listen to the groups who have a lot of wealth and financial power. This is why the government have close links with business groups, like Shell, BP and Tesco. Wealthy groups can afford a lot of advertisements and media coverage, which both are extremely helpful in promoting a pressure group, as more people become aware of their presence. BT constantly run adverts on the TV because they can afford to do so, and BT are probably the most successful telecommunications company in the world. Another factor that contributes to a pressure groups success is size. This is because when a pressure group is larger in size it means it contains a large membership and usually more people will recognize the group. Another advantage of having a large membership is the group can claim to represent public opinion, as many people have decided to join the group as they share their beliefs. Governments have to listen to pressure groups with a large membership, because it means that if the government address the issue the pressure group is concerned with, then the party in charge of the government at the time is likely to gain all the votes of that pressure groups members. Groups such as the RSPB ensure they keep their membership above one million for that very reason. Also more
Open Document