Pressure and lobby groups

Study note

Pressure groups, which are also called lobby groups, are organisations that try to influence government policy on particular issues. They might campaign on a cause such as the environment, business, civil liberties or animal welfare, and they try to persuade the government and the public to support their point of view.

These groups are a normal and important part of a democracy. They give people a way to make their views heard between elections, alongside other methods such as voting, joining a political party and contacting your MP. Pressure groups do not collect taxes, run the courts or replace Parliament; their aim is to influence decisions, not to govern. For the test, remember that a pressure or lobby group exists to try to influence government policy on the issues it cares about.

Memory tip: Pressure (lobby) groups try to influence government policy on the issues they care about.