A level Politics -Comparing Pressure Groups-Influence of pressure groups on government in the USA and the UK

A level Politics -Comparing Pressure Groups-Influence of pressure groups on government in the USA and the UK
I. Similarities:

• Types of Pressure Groups: Both countries have similar types of pressure groups, including:
  • Interest Groups: Representing business (e.g., US Chamber of Commerce, CBI), labor (e.g., AFL-CIO, TUC), and professional bodies (e.g., AMA, BMA).
  • Promotional Groups: Advocating for specific causes, such as civil liberties (e.g., ACLU, Liberty), women's rights (e.g., NOW, Fawcett Society), and environmental protection (e.g., Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion).
• Organizational Structure: Similar organizational structures, although US groups often have federal and state-level offices.
• Typologies: Both countries' pressure groups can be categorized using the insider/outsider and promotional/interest typologies.
• Rise of Social Movements: Both countries have seen a recent increase in social movements with international reach (e.g., Black Lives Matter, youth climate movement).
• Methods of Influence: Both utilize lobbying, legal challenges, and public campaigning.

II. Differences:
A. Access Points:

• USA: Significantly more access points due to the federal system:
  • Directly elected President, bicameral legislature with frequent elections.
  • Direct primary elections.
  • 50 state legislatures (most bicameral), 50 governors, and numerous local elected officials.
  • Direct democracy mechanisms like ballot initiatives and referendums.
• UK: Fewer access points:
  • General elections (ideally every 5 years), devolved assemblies, and local elections.
  • Less frequent use of referendums, typically on constitutional issues.

B. Election Involvement:

• USA: Pressure groups can spend unlimited amounts on elections via PACs and Super PACs (Citizens United v. FEC ruling). Heavy use of television advertising.
• UK: Stricter campaign finance regulations. Registered charities cannot make political donations or endorse candidates. Spending limits exist for non-party campaigners (£20,000+ triggers registration). Television advertising is largely banned.

C. Lobbying:

• USA: More developed professional lobbying industry (11,000+ lobbyists).
• UK: Growing lobbying industry, particularly post-Brexit, but smaller than the US. Both countries experience a "revolving door" phenomenon (former officials becoming lobbyists).

D. Legal Challenges:

• USA: Supreme Court can declare Acts of Congress unconstitutional, leading to significant impact from legal challenges and amicus curiae briefs.
• UK: Judicial review is more limited, applying only to government actions, not Acts of Parliament. Parliament can override Supreme Court decisions through retrospective legislation. The Human Rights Act allows for appeals to the European Court of Human Rights, but Parliament can choose to ignore rulings of incompatibility.

E. Enforcement & Penalties:

• USA: Enforcement mechanisms for campaign finance violations are complex and vary across jurisdictions.
• UK: The Electoral Commission enforces campaign finance regulations with fines for breaches.

III. Key Concepts:

• PACs/Super PACs (USA): Political Action Committees that allow for significant spending on elections.
• Judicial Review (UK): The power of courts to review government actions for legality.
• Retrospective Legislation (USA & UK): Laws that legalize past actions. The impact differs based on the country's legal system.
• Amicus Curiae Briefs (USA): "Friend of the court" briefs submitted by interested parties to influence court decisions.
• European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): International treaty on human rights, applicable to the UK, with potential for appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
• Revolving Door: The movement of personnel between government and lobbying firms.

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