Hello.

My name's Miss Sekome, and I'm a teacher from London.

I'm gonna be taking you through today's lesson.

Let's get started.

Today's lesson is called What are Pressure Groups? It is part of the wider unit, Why do we need the right protest in a democracy? By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain the work that pressure groups do and how they achieve their aims. To get started, our keywords for today's lessons are pressure group, this is an organised group that puts pressure on the government, or those in power, to do something or change something.

Next, we have influence.

You've probably heard this in different contexts.

It means the power to affect or change somebody's thoughts, actions, or decisions.

Then we have lobbying.

This is when an individual or a group tries to persuade someone in parliament to support a particular policy or campaign.

Sometimes we heard it referred to as lobbying somebody, or somebody was lobbied.

We're gonna start by thinking about what is a pressure group? A pressure group is an organised group that tries to influence policy within the government.

Policies are the different laws and legislations that the government is aiming to carry out in their time in charge.

They don't try to win elections by standing as a candidate.

Instead, they lobby politicians and try and shape those policies by convincing them of why their issue is important, or why they should consider a different perspective on an issue that they're addressing.

There are only a small number of political parties in the UK but this doesn't cover all the issues that people care about, so therefore this is why we have pressure groups that exist, because they show that enough people care about an issue and therefore they want to influence the government to do something differently, normally, specifically related to a particular issue.

Saying that, not all pressure groups will have aims that are not overtly political.

This means that quite often there's a crossover between what is happening politically, and what policies are, and pressure groups and how they would like to see things changed.

For example, the Ramblers' Association campaigns for public access to green spaces for walking, but it also advocates for better neighbourhood planning to promote walking over driving, so we can see the issue that is important and how this might be played out in policy, so therefore could be seen as being political.

Let's check what we've done so far.

True or false? Pressure groups try to influence the government to take action on issues that they're concerned about.

Pause your video now and choose your answer.

The correct answer is true.

This is because pressure groups influence government policy by lobbying them.

This might look different depending on the pressure group, and we'll think about some of the ways they do this later.

Most pressure groups have a single aim, so that means that they have a particular issue that they are interested in, and an outcome, something that they would like to happen as a result of their pressuring.

They fall into two main categories, insider groups and outsider groups.

Insider pressure groups have a positive relationship with the government.

They're often spoken to by the government, and the government use their expertise and ideas when it comes to creating new policies and new laws.

They might concentrate on building public support, and that therefore is going to exert pressure on the people who are making the laws.

Sam's giving us an example of an insider pressure group.

"The British Medical Association is an insider pressure group the government will work with to shape policies.

These policies will affect healthcare and doctors.

The BMA will convince the government to change their policy if they need to." By having those conversations from the inside.

Outsider pressure groups are a little bit different, and they have little influence in the government.

Instead, they use the media and publicity stunts to gain attention from the public and therefore put pressure on the government in a different way.

Sam's giving us another example of an outside pressure group.

So Surfers Against Sewage are an outsider pressure group that campaign for better water quality and reduction in ocean plastic pollution.

They hold regular public events on waterways and beaches.

These track supporters and media attention.

Let's do another check.

Which of the following is most likely to be a tactic of an insider pressure group? Is it A, holding public stance to attract media attention, B, holding a meeting with a minister to change policy, or C, holding a protest to raise awareness of the public? Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer is B.

Well done if you got that right.

Let's put this into practise.

I would like you to define the following key terms in your own words, and use an example to support your definition.

I'd like you to define the term pressure group, insider pressure group, and outsider pressure group.

Pause your video and complete this now.

I asked you to define some of the following key terms. Your answers have looked like this.

A pressure group is an organised group of people who aim to influence government policies or decisions on specific issues.

They do not run for election, but try to persuade politicians to take action on matters that affect their members or the public.

An example is the Ramblers' Association, which campaigns for public access to green spaces for walking.

The next one was an insider pressure group.

These have close relationships with the government and are often consulted for their expertise on certain issues.

These groups work within the political system to influence policies and are typically trusted by policy makers.

An example is the British Medical Association, which works with the government to shape policies that affect healthcare and doctors.

An outsider pressure group does not have strong ties with the government and often uses public campaigns, media attention, and events to raise awareness and push for change.

They typically focus on gaining support from the public to apply pressure to policymakers.

An example is Surfers Against Sewage, which campaigns for better water quality and reduction in ocean plastic pollution.

They hold regular public events on waterways and beaches.

Well done if you included some of that in your answer.

Next, we're gonna think about what actions pressure groups take to achieve their aims. Pressure groups tend to have two main strategies when it comes to taking action.

The first is influencing politics.

They allow people to get involved with shaping policies between elections.

This might be taking action.

The second is through their specialist knowledge.

Some pressure groups have expert knowledge, and this is needed by the government.

They'll provide this knowledge in exchange for the chance to shape a policy.

True or false? Pressure groups lend the government experts who advise on policies.

Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer is true.

This is because experts will exchange their knowledge and expertise.

In return, they might get the chance to help shape policy.

Pressure group take lots of different types of actions, depending on what they hope to achieve.

Informing.

This is where they inform decision makers of their preferences on a particular topic, and particularly the preferences of their members of the public.

Helping in an election.

This is where they might give time or money in the lead up towards an election.

This might help potential candidates with their manifestos and future policies.

And voting in a bloc.

This means that they will inform their members that they would like them to vote in a particular way.

This can challenge potential candidates within elections and make them change their policies as they want to gain the attraction and the votes of that particular bloc.

They also have a role in writing bills and laws, particularly if they have an expert knowledge within a particular area.

So they might speed up legislation by helping the people who are writing the laws to make amendments to those potential bills, which then become laws.

Influence.

Pressure groups may also attempt to influence members of the executive, and that means that they have some input in lawmaking.

Let's check what we've done so far.

Which of these is the correct definition of a bloc vote? Is it A, a group of people who come together based on common values, ideas, or principles, B, a group of people who vote the same way to try to influence the government or an MP, or C, a group of people who encourage others to vote in all types of elections? Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer is B.

Well done if you got that right.

Let's think about putting this into practise.

I would like you to fill in the missing words in this paragraph.

Pause your video and have a go at this now.

We'll then come back together and check your answers.

I asked you to fill in the missing words in this paragraph.

Let's see what the correct answers were.

Pressure groups will take a range of actions to try to influence the government.

These tactics might involve giving the government a expert to help inform policies.

It might also involve trying to convince members to bloc vote to try and change the government or support the government if they agree with the pressure group.

Well done if you got those right.

If not, correct your answers now.

The work that pressure groups do can be divided into two groups.

This is direct or indirect action.

Direct action involves physically attempting to stop an activity that's seen as wrong, or gaining attention through dramatic or spectacular actions.

It's important to note that direct action doesn't have to be violent, dangerous, or hostile.

Instead, it addresses issues at their root, and often draws significant media coverage.

An example of this is the Fathers 4 Justice campaign group.

This was a pressure group that was founded in 2003 to try and promote the rights of fathers.

In 2003, two fathers dressed up as superheroes and climbed onto the roof of the Royal Courts of Justice.

A year later, they threw flower bombs at the Prime Minister in the House of Commons.

The group's direct actions gained lots of media attention and ensured that many people were aware of their campaign, therefore fulfilling the specific aims that they'd set out at the beginning.

Despite direct action existing, the majority of pressure group action is indirect, and this involves raising awareness of issues through things such as educating people on those issues, debating those issues in public, and lobbying people in positions of power.

Indirect action is often more peaceful, comparatively, to direct action.

It involves gathering support through people rather than targeting the source.

An example of a pressure group that uses indirect action is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

The NSPCC.

This group aims to eradicate cruelty to children, and they produce a range of educational materials that people can use and teachers might use to support keeping children safe in all of their different contexts.

Other examples of direct and indirect action include the following forms of action.

So indirect, we have boycotting, so this is where you stop buying a service or putting money into a particular area.

Protesting, where people come together physically to show that they agree or disagree with a particular issue, or stunts to attract attention, like we saw in that example of the Fathers 4 Justice, where they dressed up and then scaled a building.

Indirect action methods might include petitions, which is trying to get members of the public to sign to show that they think that the issue is important.

Writing educational materials, like we saw, the NSPCC example, whereby educational materials on keeping children safe are created, delivering training to volunteers so they can then pass on that important expertise in their places of work or socialising.

And lastly, writing a letter to a member of parliament who might have the power to bring this up in a debate or influence on a particular policy.

Let's check what we've done so far.

True or false? Fathers 4 Justice used indirect action to gain media attention.

Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer is false.

This is because they use direct action to gain media attention and therefore keep their campaign in public consciousness.

Well, if you got that right.

Let's put this into practise.

Jacob's local council wish to close the local park as there is too much littering taking place there.

I would you to explain two forms of action a pressure group might take to try and prevent this, and explain why.

Can you please try to include a direct action example and an indirect action example? Pause your video now and have a go at this task.

I asked you to try and come up with some methods that a pressure group might use to try and prevent the closure of Jacob's local park.

Your answer might have included some of the following examples.

A pressure group could take direct action by arranging a protest at the local park.

This would help to raise awareness of the issue and attract the local media.

The pressure group could also take indirect action by having members write to their MP and lobby them on the issue.

The MP would likely be aware of the issue 'cause of the protest, and so will be more likely to read and engage with the letter.

Well done if you included some of that in your answer.

Last, we're going to think about how effective pressure groups are in achieving their aims. The success or failure of pressure groups is hard to measure.

Sometimes they're not achieving their aims or changing laws, but they do raise awareness for the issue, which in the future could have a positive impact on that issue.

This helps make the issue more important to the public and therefore the government have to take that issue more seriously.

True or false? Pressure groups have to meet their aims to be successful.

Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer is false.

This is because pressure groups might raise awareness of the issue, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the laws will be changed.

Well done if you got that right.

Greenpeace is an example of a pressure group that campaigns to protect the environment.

In 2023, they campaigned for the government to take action on disposable vapes.

They organised a petition that was signed by over 250,000 people and lobbied MPs.

They were aiming for disposable vapes to be banned within the UK.

This is because two disposable vapes are thrown away every second, which amounts to 1.

3 million per week.

They argue this is negative for the environment and therefore is gonna have a lasting impact on young people in their future.

Through their actions, in 2024, thanks in part to the campaign, the government banned the sale of disposable vapes.

This is going to come into place in June, 2025.

Another example of a pressure group that we've seen already was Fathers 4 Justice.

They tried to change how family courts work.

They believe that men experienced prejudice in the family court, whilst women were treated more favourably.

Although their work didn't change any laws, the high profile stunts, such as climbing on top of Buckingham Palace, made the public more aware of their campaign, which, again, helped to raise importance surrounding this issue, which might have had an influence on policies further down the line.

True or false? Greenpeace's work helped to legalise vaping for under-18s.

Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer is false.

Greenpeace's campaign was surrounding banning disposable vapes, and they succeeded in this in 2024.

Although pressure groups might be successful without meeting their aims, they do still need to attract people for their cause.

People have to care about the issue and therefore want to get involved in the change.

They can be successful in changing public opinion or gaining attention for their cause.

Let's check what we've done so far.

What do pressure groups need to continue to grow? A, some MP's support, B, some public support, or C, no public support.

Choose all of the answers that you think apply.

The correct answers were A and B.

Pressure groups need some MP support and some public support in order to grow.

I'm going to read a statement, and I'd like you to decide how far you agree or disagree with this statement.

Pressure groups are only effective if they have a close relationship with the government.

I would like you to explain your answer, giving clear reasons to justify whether you agree or disagree.

Pause your video and complete this task now.

I asked you to think about whether you agree or disagree with the idea that pressure groups are only effective if they have a close relationship with the government.

You might have included some of the following in your answer.

You might have said you agree with the statement because insider pressure groups, like the British Medical Association, are directly consulted by the government, which means that they're more likely to achieve their aims and can influence policy, whereas outsider pressure groups, like Surfers Against Sewage, have to gain media attention to try to raise awareness and convince people of their course.

This takes significant time, effort, and resources.

Furthermore, an outsider pressure group may be ignored by the government.

You might have argued the other side.

"I disagree with the statement because even though insider pressure groups, like the British Medical Association, are directly consulted by the government, this doesn't mean that they'll be listened to or they'll successfully influence a policy, as power and decisions ultimately rest with the government.

Whereas outsider pressure groups, like Surfers Against Sewage, can gain media attention and raise awareness of their cause.

This can be done through indirect and direct actions.

Furthermore, an outsider pressure group may gain public support, as their campaign is more visible than those insider pressure groups." Well done if you included some of that in your answer.

Today, we have been thinking about what are pressure groups.

We have learned that pressure groups try to influence government policy by lobbying.

They fall into two categories, outsider and insider pressure groups.

They use a range of strategies to achieve their aim.

This might include direct action, such as protests and boycotting, or indirect action, such as education and petitions.

Pressure groups don't need to meet their aims to be a success.

They can be successful in changing public opinion or gaining attention for their cause.

Thank you for joining me in today's lesson.