Evaluate the view the think tanks,
lobbyists and pressure groups
have little impact on government
decisions
A pressure group is a broad term encompassing any political group that at-
tempts to influence those in power without seeking power themselves. There
are two types of pressure groups: insider and outsider. While insider pressure
groups work with the government to achieve their aims, outsider pressure
groups do not work with the government. Think tanks and lobbyists are insider
pressure groups since they achieve their aims by intimately working with the
government. In the UK, think tanks and lobbyists have influenced government
decisions, but the role they play has been diminished as a result of public un-
ease (in the case of lobbyists) and the general de-ideologization of established
political parties (in the case of think tanks).
The impact that a pressure group has on government decisions depends on its
nature. Insider pressure groups work with the government and are often con-
sulted by the government for insights on how policies may impact a particular
sector of society. The National Union of Farmers, the Confederation of British
Industry (CBI) and the British Medical Association (BMA) are all examples of in-
sider pressure groups: not only do they seek to influence the government, but
the government also seeks to consult them. Often, these pressure groups have
views that are in line with those of the government. Recently, for example, the
BMA managed to pressure the government to increase spending on the NHS
under a plan that would increase spending by 3.4% per annum from 2019 to
2024. The CBI, which speaks on behalf of British businesses, managed to pres-
sure the government to give more powers to devolved governments. In 2018,
the Northern Ireland Civil Service was provided more powers by the UK govern-
ment. It could thus be said that insider pressure groups have had an increasing
impact on government decisions.
Outsider pressure groups, however, have not secured similar successes. These
groups maintain their distance from the government to ensure ideological pu-
rity, which may be threatened through compromises with the mainstream. Usu-
ally, this distance is kept because of their largely non-mainstream ideologies.
But it may also be that they do not have access because of their lack of funds
or exposure. To influence government policy, they typically resort to public
awareness campaigns, protests and civil disobedience. Currently, in the UK,
one of the most out-spoken outsider pressure groups is an environmentalist
pressure group known as Extinction Rebellion (XR), which seeks to pressure the
government to legislate on one of its objectives, to have greenhouse emissions
to net zero by 2025. Their actions, however, often lead to not only public disap-
proval but also legal repercussions that may harm the group’s legitimacy and
future survival. Recently, for example, Extinction Rebellion targeted BlackRock,
lobbyists and pressure groups
have little impact on government
decisions
A pressure group is a broad term encompassing any political group that at-
tempts to influence those in power without seeking power themselves. There
are two types of pressure groups: insider and outsider. While insider pressure
groups work with the government to achieve their aims, outsider pressure
groups do not work with the government. Think tanks and lobbyists are insider
pressure groups since they achieve their aims by intimately working with the
government. In the UK, think tanks and lobbyists have influenced government
decisions, but the role they play has been diminished as a result of public un-
ease (in the case of lobbyists) and the general de-ideologization of established
political parties (in the case of think tanks).
The impact that a pressure group has on government decisions depends on its
nature. Insider pressure groups work with the government and are often con-
sulted by the government for insights on how policies may impact a particular
sector of society. The National Union of Farmers, the Confederation of British
Industry (CBI) and the British Medical Association (BMA) are all examples of in-
sider pressure groups: not only do they seek to influence the government, but
the government also seeks to consult them. Often, these pressure groups have
views that are in line with those of the government. Recently, for example, the
BMA managed to pressure the government to increase spending on the NHS
under a plan that would increase spending by 3.4% per annum from 2019 to
2024. The CBI, which speaks on behalf of British businesses, managed to pres-
sure the government to give more powers to devolved governments. In 2018,
the Northern Ireland Civil Service was provided more powers by the UK govern-
ment. It could thus be said that insider pressure groups have had an increasing
impact on government decisions.
Outsider pressure groups, however, have not secured similar successes. These
groups maintain their distance from the government to ensure ideological pu-
rity, which may be threatened through compromises with the mainstream. Usu-
ally, this distance is kept because of their largely non-mainstream ideologies.
But it may also be that they do not have access because of their lack of funds
or exposure. To influence government policy, they typically resort to public
awareness campaigns, protests and civil disobedience. Currently, in the UK,
one of the most out-spoken outsider pressure groups is an environmentalist
pressure group known as Extinction Rebellion (XR), which seeks to pressure the
government to legislate on one of its objectives, to have greenhouse emissions
to net zero by 2025. Their actions, however, often lead to not only public disap-
proval but also legal repercussions that may harm the group’s legitimacy and
future survival. Recently, for example, Extinction Rebellion targeted BlackRock,
