Political Crossfire Forums

[tiger_j000]

How do pressure groups educate the electorate

What is meant by accountability

How, as an example, has a "insider" pressure group abused it status

A recent exmaple of when a adjourment debate was used succesfully

Has there been a popular example of when voters have used tactical voting in recent general elections.
I was thinking portillo.

[Lord Hargreaves]

As Level Government & Politics - what a treat

Pressure Groups rarely "educate" the electorate, they spread propaganda to advance their own interests. However they do help to raise awareness on issues by setting up various forms of campaigns, advertising etc which will often make people interested in and look into the issue.

"Accountability" means a politican will ultimately have to face consquences for his actions in government. This usually takes place in the form of elections - when the public gets a chance to vote it is said they are able to "hold politicans accountable" by voting out someone who has done something in government which they do not like. If you want examples of this, the EU is a great place to start :-D

On Insider groups, i'm not sure - I'm thinking Trade Unions and Labour, but that hasn't really been true since Blair took office.

Adjournment debate - can't help you there at the moment sorry

Tactical voting - I think Portilo lost in 1997 because his party stank (and still hasn't fully recovered) rather than tactical voting. Perhaps Labour voters voting Lib Dem in the last election in protest at the Iraq War could be an example, as a way of showing displeasure with Labour without being in danger of letting the Conservatives win?

[tiger_j000]

ive tried looking for examples of tactical voting, any examples you can think of
and is possible to say that portillo was held accountable in the election which is why he lost

[Windy]

How do pressure groups educate the electorate
Insider or Outsider?
It also depends on the issue the pressure group is talking about, for example Forest and the Countryside Alliance do spread lies- using manitulated surveys for example. For example the CA's survey that showed 75% of the population supported hunting when clearly they didn't, they just surveyed people at hunts.

However there are pressure groups like the WWF for example who highlight problems regarding issues like the Canadains beating seals to death. No lies here just showing people what needs to be done.

Anyway they do via Adverts in papers (Pro smoking groups advertise in the New Statesman for example), local groups (anti-airport) use leaflet dropping, car stickers, many use TV adverts (NSPCC) anything you can think of.

Insider groups tend not to bother with the electorate but instead focus on the politicans, Outside groups educate the electorate to try and get them to influence the politicans.
It also depends on whether the group already has popular support if they do then they have to do very little- WWF's lets not kill seals or Snowdrops guns are bad, lets ban them.
Forest on the other hand spend a fortune trying to tell non-smokers that they shouldn't mind other people giving them lung cancer.

What is meant by accountability
Ministerial? Collective? Individual?
To Parliament or to the public?

How, as an example, has a "insider" pressure group abused it status
Can't think of one

A recent exmaple of when a adjourment debate was used succesfully
Ditto

Has there been a popular example of when voters have used tactical voting in recent general elections.
1997/2001 election and pick any Lib Dem seat outside the South West.