Page 29 - An Introduction to Political Communication Fifth Edition

Intro to Politics Communication (5th edn)-p.qxp 9/2/11 10:55 Page 8

POLITICS IN THE AGE OF MEDIATION
situation, but to campaign for change or to raise the public profile of a
particular problem, often through enlisting the help of elected politicians.
These organisations have, to a greater or lesser degree, institutional status
and public legitimacy, as reflected in their access to policy-makers and
media, receipt of charitable donations, and official funding. Chapter 8 will
examine the techniques used by such organisations to influence the political
process, such as lobbying, advertising and the organisation of public demon-
strations.

Pressure groups
Chapter 8 will also consider the political communication practices of a
second category of non-party actor: the pressure group. Pressure groups (or
single-issue groups, as they are also known) may be distinguished from the
public organisations listed above in that they are typically less institu-
tionalised and more overtly ‘political’ in their objectives, being concerned
with such issues as the conservation of the natural environment, and the
prevention of cruelty to animals being reared for human food consumption
or for use in the testing of drugs and cosmetics. They tend to campaign
around single issues, such as the anti-nuclear movement in the early 1980s,
the British anti-poll tax campaign of the late 1980s and early 1990s (Deacon
and Golding, 1994) and global warming in the early twenty-first century.
The environmental lobby exemplifies the growth of global lobbies focused
on the resolution of problems which transcend national boundaries.
Pressure groups are unlike the established parties, however, in drawing
their support and membership from a more diverse social base. While the
Labour and Conservative parties in Britain (and the Democratic and
Republican parties in the US) are traditionally associated with ‘labour’ and
‘business’ respectively (given that these associations are much looser now
than was once the case) an organisation such as the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament, and its equivalent in other countries, at the height of its
influence drew support and active membership from the entire spectrum of
social classes. The environmental movement likewise, has found support
across classes, age groups, and religious and ideological affiliations.
The environmental movement, it should be noted, is an example of a
pressure group which sought to break into the mainstream of the political
process by establishing ‘Green’ parties throughout Europe. As a political
party the Greens have many elected representatives in Germany and other
European countries. Even in Britain, where the Green Party has only one MP,
elected in 2010, the environmental movement has had a major impact on the
political agenda, requiring parties to develop at least the appearance of pro-
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environmental policies. David Cameron, elected as Tory leader in 2005 and
prime minister in May 2010, put green policies at the heart of his party’s pro-
gramme for government.

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