POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
Component 1: UK Politics
Written examination: 2 hours
33⅓% of the qualification
84 marks
Assessment overview
Section A: Political Participation
One 30-mark question from a choice of two (each question uses a source) – students
must complete one of these. Plus one 30-mark question from a choice of two – students
must complete one of these.
All questions assess AO1, AO2 and AO3.
Section B: Core Political Ideas
One 24-mark question from a choice of two, which assesses AO1, AO2 and AO3.
Political Participation
1.3 PRESSURE GROUPS AND OTHER INFLUENCES
Democracy and Participation:
➔ How different pressure groups exert influence and how their methods and influence
vary in contemporary politics
● Sectional Interest Groups:
★ Promote the interests of a certain group or organisation.
Membership is usually limited to people who meet certain
requirements, such as qualifications and occupation. An example
is the National Farmers Union (NFU) which seeks to campaign for
a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure
the best possible deal for their members.
● Cause Groups:
★ focus on bringing light to a particular issue. Membership is
usually open. An example is Extinction Rebellion, who are trying
to bring light to climate issues. Another example is where
members are not affected by the issue, but promote knowledge of
it, such as Shelter, the homeless charity.
● Social movement:
★ Similar to cause groups but more loosely structured. Some
participants are also members of traditional pressure groups, for
example members of Campaign for Better Transport may also be
members of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) which
negotiates with over 150 transport-sector companies for better
pay, shorter hours and safer working conditions.
● Insider groups:
★ Those with contacts with the government. The NFU have contacts
with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
and many insider groups have policies that are broadly in line
with the government. Many insider groups use lobbyists to push
their agendas. Seek to influence government decisions directly.
This may include:
○ Accessing key decision makers, such as the Prime Minister,
cabinet ministers and civil servants.
, POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
○ Provide specialist information when the government is
considering new laws, which allows the pressure group to
influence the government’s decision.
○ Targeting members of the House of Commons or House of
Lords.
● Outsider groups:
★ Unlikely to enter direct contact with the government and use
methods such as protests and the media to push their agenda. An
example is Fathers for Justice which aims to gain public and
parliamentary support for changes in UK legislation on fathers'
rights, mainly using stunts and protests. They’re not able to
directly contact the government, but can use the public and the
media to affect government decisions, such as:
○ Demonstrations and marches
○ Publicity stunts (Fathers for Justice)
○ Social media
○ Celebrities and statements
○ Civil disobedience
● Direct action:
★ Refers to the public being actively involved in politics as opposed
to using a representative or voting. Direct action can include:
○ Demonstrations and marches
○ Trade unions going on strike
○ Sit-ins (Occupy London, brought together citizens to fight for
a new political and economic system that puts people,
democracy and the environment before profit).
○ These actions are designed to pressurise the government into
acting.
● Factors that affect the influence of pressure groups:
★ Resources: money to pay staff, pay for advertising, organise
events and protests. However, even the largest pressure groups
may struggle to change government policy.
★ Tactics and leadership: pressure groups combining and working
together can increase the prevalence of issues amongst the
population. Strong leadership can be crucial, as leaders represent
the group and issue statements on their behalf.
★ Public support: pressure groups whose agenda is in line with
public opinion are usually more successful. Favourable media
endorsements can also help with this.
★ Government attitudes: insider groups are often successful as they
can have direct contact with the government. For example, the
NFU’s links to DEFRA around the 2013 badger cull allowed the
policy to be discussed between the group and department.
● Do pressure groups benefit democracy?
Yes No
They allow people to participate Pressure groups can stop things
actively between elections or which others need (Opposition to
referenda. HS2).
They reflect pluralist democracy, They are not accountable to the
giving people a voice that extends public, often working behind
, POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
further than political parties. closed doors. This makes them
seem undemocratic.
Many members are professionals Reduce the power of parliament
in certain fields & can bring expert and undermine its sovereignty,
knowledge to MPs and ministers. often bypassing parliament which
weakens the role of MPs.
Pressure groups can help educate They make the action of the govt
and inform the electorate through more difficult, as they now have
the promotion of debate. to satisfy a range of groups.
They encourage governments to They can be very divisive and
act responsibly as they can hold selfish. A powerful group can push
their actions to account to the its agenda and make smaller
public. groups seem obsolete.
Concentrated power, some may
‘buy’ influence through funding.
Pressure groups can bring Despite their hard work, they may
awareness to a range of important not always achieve their desired
issues that affect everyone’s lives. end result.
E.g. 2019: Extinction Rebellion (XR) E.g. Remainder PGs huge rally
created widespread awareness of marches & petitions did little to
climate change, causing the govt to influence the government.
declare a climate emergency.
Ensure that people are given the Methods taken by PGs may be
rights that they are entitled to. seen as off-putting.
E.g. Stonewall helped influence govt E.g. Fathers for Justice throwing
policy on LGBT+ rights in the army paint at Blair.
and in educational settings.
Radicalism. E.g. EDL
➔ Other collective organisations & groups including think tanks, lobbyists and
corporations & their influence on government and policies
● Think Tanks - a group of experts brought together to offer solutions
to political, economic or social issues.
★ Use the media and direct contact with politicians/civil servants to
disseminate the work, in an attempt to influence policy makers,
as well as wider public debate.
★ Publication of their research & policy work, e.g newspapers, TV,
media etc.
★ Funded from charitable and corporate sources.
● Lobbyists - members of organisations that are paid to influence
government decisions.
★ Pressure them to support their aims.
E.g. 2003: Meetings between Shell, Bp & department for international
trade helped oil companies secure contracts on oil fields post IraqWar.
Effective Ineffective
, POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
● 2003: Meetings between ● The parliamentary
Shell, Bp & department for standards committee has
international trade helped oversight (in theory) and a
oil companies secure set of rules that MPS must
contracts on oil fields post follow when declaring
Iraq War. their outside interests.
● 2020: Owen Patterson MP ● Owen, Cameron, Greensill
was paid over 100k to have been exposed in the
represent RANDOX media & demonstrate that
corporation in parliament lobbying can be checked or
who then received 500k in limited.
covid contracts. ● Labour MP Zarah Sultana
● 2018: Lord Brownlow has criticised the system as
donated £3mil to the CONS being opaque and that
and was awarded peerage. lobbyists have too much
● 2021: Good Law project influence and presence in
defeated the govt in the parliament
High Court over the covid
contracts awarded to frnds
& donors of the CONS.
● Corporations - work with the government to develop legislation and
help implement proposals. Pressurise the government for favourable
legislation or financial assistance by threatening to relocate.
★ Lobbying
★ Win government contracts through outsourcing or privatisation.
★ Attempts to have policies that work in their favour (low business
taxes).
★ Governments are scared of the influence that corporations have
because they’re powerful and can create new jobs and relocate and
so they favour free market policies.
Case Examples:
➔ Case studies of two different pressure groups & how their methods & influence vary
● Extinction Rebellion - an outsider group which uses direct actions
such as civil disobedience to campaign for climate change.
● Trade Union - a sectional group which developed a link with Labour
and so have an influence on policies as well as the election of the
party leader - provide substantial funding to the Labour Party.
(Ed Miliband defeated his brother to become the leader - huge chunks
of his vote came from Trade Union members).
● Stop the War Campaign - social movement that aimed to stop the
invasion of Iraq through public meetings and protests.
1.4 RIGHTS IN CONTEXT
Democracy and Participation:
● It is important within a democracy that civil rights are protected. This is
usually done through a codified constitution with an entrenched bill of
rights. The UK does not have this whereas other countries, like the USA, do.
In the UK, these rights have simply become law over time.
➔ Major Milestones in their development + the significance of Magna Carta & more
recent developments, including the Human Rights Act 1998 & the Equality Act 2010
Component 1: UK Politics
Written examination: 2 hours
33⅓% of the qualification
84 marks
Assessment overview
Section A: Political Participation
One 30-mark question from a choice of two (each question uses a source) – students
must complete one of these. Plus one 30-mark question from a choice of two – students
must complete one of these.
All questions assess AO1, AO2 and AO3.
Section B: Core Political Ideas
One 24-mark question from a choice of two, which assesses AO1, AO2 and AO3.
Political Participation
1.3 PRESSURE GROUPS AND OTHER INFLUENCES
Democracy and Participation:
➔ How different pressure groups exert influence and how their methods and influence
vary in contemporary politics
● Sectional Interest Groups:
★ Promote the interests of a certain group or organisation.
Membership is usually limited to people who meet certain
requirements, such as qualifications and occupation. An example
is the National Farmers Union (NFU) which seeks to campaign for
a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure
the best possible deal for their members.
● Cause Groups:
★ focus on bringing light to a particular issue. Membership is
usually open. An example is Extinction Rebellion, who are trying
to bring light to climate issues. Another example is where
members are not affected by the issue, but promote knowledge of
it, such as Shelter, the homeless charity.
● Social movement:
★ Similar to cause groups but more loosely structured. Some
participants are also members of traditional pressure groups, for
example members of Campaign for Better Transport may also be
members of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) which
negotiates with over 150 transport-sector companies for better
pay, shorter hours and safer working conditions.
● Insider groups:
★ Those with contacts with the government. The NFU have contacts
with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
and many insider groups have policies that are broadly in line
with the government. Many insider groups use lobbyists to push
their agendas. Seek to influence government decisions directly.
This may include:
○ Accessing key decision makers, such as the Prime Minister,
cabinet ministers and civil servants.
, POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
○ Provide specialist information when the government is
considering new laws, which allows the pressure group to
influence the government’s decision.
○ Targeting members of the House of Commons or House of
Lords.
● Outsider groups:
★ Unlikely to enter direct contact with the government and use
methods such as protests and the media to push their agenda. An
example is Fathers for Justice which aims to gain public and
parliamentary support for changes in UK legislation on fathers'
rights, mainly using stunts and protests. They’re not able to
directly contact the government, but can use the public and the
media to affect government decisions, such as:
○ Demonstrations and marches
○ Publicity stunts (Fathers for Justice)
○ Social media
○ Celebrities and statements
○ Civil disobedience
● Direct action:
★ Refers to the public being actively involved in politics as opposed
to using a representative or voting. Direct action can include:
○ Demonstrations and marches
○ Trade unions going on strike
○ Sit-ins (Occupy London, brought together citizens to fight for
a new political and economic system that puts people,
democracy and the environment before profit).
○ These actions are designed to pressurise the government into
acting.
● Factors that affect the influence of pressure groups:
★ Resources: money to pay staff, pay for advertising, organise
events and protests. However, even the largest pressure groups
may struggle to change government policy.
★ Tactics and leadership: pressure groups combining and working
together can increase the prevalence of issues amongst the
population. Strong leadership can be crucial, as leaders represent
the group and issue statements on their behalf.
★ Public support: pressure groups whose agenda is in line with
public opinion are usually more successful. Favourable media
endorsements can also help with this.
★ Government attitudes: insider groups are often successful as they
can have direct contact with the government. For example, the
NFU’s links to DEFRA around the 2013 badger cull allowed the
policy to be discussed between the group and department.
● Do pressure groups benefit democracy?
Yes No
They allow people to participate Pressure groups can stop things
actively between elections or which others need (Opposition to
referenda. HS2).
They reflect pluralist democracy, They are not accountable to the
giving people a voice that extends public, often working behind
, POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
further than political parties. closed doors. This makes them
seem undemocratic.
Many members are professionals Reduce the power of parliament
in certain fields & can bring expert and undermine its sovereignty,
knowledge to MPs and ministers. often bypassing parliament which
weakens the role of MPs.
Pressure groups can help educate They make the action of the govt
and inform the electorate through more difficult, as they now have
the promotion of debate. to satisfy a range of groups.
They encourage governments to They can be very divisive and
act responsibly as they can hold selfish. A powerful group can push
their actions to account to the its agenda and make smaller
public. groups seem obsolete.
Concentrated power, some may
‘buy’ influence through funding.
Pressure groups can bring Despite their hard work, they may
awareness to a range of important not always achieve their desired
issues that affect everyone’s lives. end result.
E.g. 2019: Extinction Rebellion (XR) E.g. Remainder PGs huge rally
created widespread awareness of marches & petitions did little to
climate change, causing the govt to influence the government.
declare a climate emergency.
Ensure that people are given the Methods taken by PGs may be
rights that they are entitled to. seen as off-putting.
E.g. Stonewall helped influence govt E.g. Fathers for Justice throwing
policy on LGBT+ rights in the army paint at Blair.
and in educational settings.
Radicalism. E.g. EDL
➔ Other collective organisations & groups including think tanks, lobbyists and
corporations & their influence on government and policies
● Think Tanks - a group of experts brought together to offer solutions
to political, economic or social issues.
★ Use the media and direct contact with politicians/civil servants to
disseminate the work, in an attempt to influence policy makers,
as well as wider public debate.
★ Publication of their research & policy work, e.g newspapers, TV,
media etc.
★ Funded from charitable and corporate sources.
● Lobbyists - members of organisations that are paid to influence
government decisions.
★ Pressure them to support their aims.
E.g. 2003: Meetings between Shell, Bp & department for international
trade helped oil companies secure contracts on oil fields post IraqWar.
Effective Ineffective
, POLITICS NOTES Paper 1
● 2003: Meetings between ● The parliamentary
Shell, Bp & department for standards committee has
international trade helped oversight (in theory) and a
oil companies secure set of rules that MPS must
contracts on oil fields post follow when declaring
Iraq War. their outside interests.
● 2020: Owen Patterson MP ● Owen, Cameron, Greensill
was paid over 100k to have been exposed in the
represent RANDOX media & demonstrate that
corporation in parliament lobbying can be checked or
who then received 500k in limited.
covid contracts. ● Labour MP Zarah Sultana
● 2018: Lord Brownlow has criticised the system as
donated £3mil to the CONS being opaque and that
and was awarded peerage. lobbyists have too much
● 2021: Good Law project influence and presence in
defeated the govt in the parliament
High Court over the covid
contracts awarded to frnds
& donors of the CONS.
● Corporations - work with the government to develop legislation and
help implement proposals. Pressurise the government for favourable
legislation or financial assistance by threatening to relocate.
★ Lobbying
★ Win government contracts through outsourcing or privatisation.
★ Attempts to have policies that work in their favour (low business
taxes).
★ Governments are scared of the influence that corporations have
because they’re powerful and can create new jobs and relocate and
so they favour free market policies.
Case Examples:
➔ Case studies of two different pressure groups & how their methods & influence vary
● Extinction Rebellion - an outsider group which uses direct actions
such as civil disobedience to campaign for climate change.
● Trade Union - a sectional group which developed a link with Labour
and so have an influence on policies as well as the election of the
party leader - provide substantial funding to the Labour Party.
(Ed Miliband defeated his brother to become the leader - huge chunks
of his vote came from Trade Union members).
● Stop the War Campaign - social movement that aimed to stop the
invasion of Iraq through public meetings and protests.
1.4 RIGHTS IN CONTEXT
Democracy and Participation:
● It is important within a democracy that civil rights are protected. This is
usually done through a codified constitution with an entrenched bill of
rights. The UK does not have this whereas other countries, like the USA, do.
In the UK, these rights have simply become law over time.
➔ Major Milestones in their development + the significance of Magna Carta & more
recent developments, including the Human Rights Act 1998 & the Equality Act 2010
