POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS AND NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Parties and pressure groups always important, but recently new social movements, like feminism, also considered.
WHAT ARE POLITICAL PARTIES
Seek to get mp's elected.
united by shared beliefs (ideology) and policies (aims).
Are relatively new, but dominate central and local government.
Main link between people and government. They represent people in two ways:
Select candidates for whom voters can choose.
Adopt and publicise policies for voters to choose from.
WHAT DO POLITICAL PARTIES STAND FOR?
Labour
New labour left traditional socialism, adopting market tested policies.
Conservative
Adherence to the free market. This was criticised by labour, but not changed once in power.
PRESSURE GROUPS
Try to influence governments in between elections
Try to get the government to do something, e.g. provide housing.
Try to stop the government from doing something eg. housing.
Two Types
Promotional, a specific cause and open to all
Protective (or interest), influence government in favour of members of a particular sectional interest.
HOW DO PRESSURE GROUPS INFLUENCE GOVERNMENT
The media, bargain behind the scenes, marches, demonstrations etc.
NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
eg. black civil rights, they challenge the cultural, economic or political social order, not trying to bring about change via the state, unlike the old social movement, which worked through unions and the labour party. They often focus on issues of identity and quality of life rather than economic concerns.
Other examples, the womens' movement, environmentalists, and all have used direct action to further their causes.
THE GROWTH OF NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
The state was seen as the problems, or its methods at least, eg. permitting environmental damage. Reforming the state doesn't always work, e.g. changed in welfare policy have not eliminated poverty and homelessness.
The traditional working class which gave support for old movements is in decline, and the new middle class don't have set allegiances. Communist states have collapsed and Marxism has lost its appeal.
The media has publicised, sometimes favourable, direct action campaigns.
If you've learnt about pluralism and other approaches to power, you can include this in any answer.