PressuregroupsintheUSA-DrPeterJepson.pptVIP

Pressure groups in the USA Edited by W. Attewell Copyright of Dr Peter Jepson - law@ Copyright … Strode’s College Laws students are free to make use of this ‘Pdf Print files’ for study purposes (they should print them off and take them to class). Others should ask before copying or using these ‘Pdf Print Files’. Personal copyright of Dr Peter Jepson - law@ Pressure groups in the USA…… Before delivery of this section read and precis chapter 4 of Bennett, US Government and Politics A quick recap……. How do pressure groups differ from political parties? Compose a list of all the differences you can think of. What does insider/outsider mean in relation to pressure groups? What does the cause/sectional distinction mean? What is an ‘institutional’ group and what is a ‘membership’ group? Key questions……. What is and should be the role of pressure groups in a representative democracy? Do they help or hinder democracy? Why are some groups more successful than others? Why are some groups more powerful than others? Is the US political system favourable to pressure group activity? If so, why? Pressure groups in the USA. There are many aspects of the US political system which provide opportunities for pressure groups to exert influence: Numerous ‘access points’ of government (federal and state levels) Autonomy of Congressional committees Lack of strict party discipline Pressure groups past and present… Video extract: “Bowling for Columbine” – NRA and anti-gun campaigners. What rights are these groups campaigning for? Are these institutional or membership groups? Would the changes they want need to take place at a federal, state, or local level? Some pressure groups in the USA…. What do the following stand for? NAACP AFL/CIO ACLU AMA Using these examples and others compose a list of different institutional and membership groups in the USA with a note beside each on what they do. Functions of pressure groups….. Representative function Aiding citizen participation Enhancing