ABSTRACT
Pressure groups, rather like political parties, ‘mediate’ on behalf of the people but in their case it is between groups or sections of society, rather than individuals and the government. Elections occur every five years in Britain, providing individual representation, but pressure groups sustain their functional representation between elections. The relationship between pressure groups and government is by no means as conflicted as might be expected given the potential clashes involved. While government and pressure groups share common aims and recognise their need to cooperate, there is also an element of conflict in the relationship: pressure groups try to apply influence which government often wishes to resist. The ‘weapons’ used can be identified as: consultation status, public relations, the law, and force. Groups will focus much energy and resources on catching the media’s attention, often with photo-opportunities to add appeal. Pressure groups are clever at spotting where ‘power’ or decision-making activity is concentrated and applying pressure accordingly.
