Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Moira Byrne
Key terms/names
collective action, disturbance theory, exchange theory, framing, incentives, insiders,
outsiders and thresholders, political opportunity, population ecology, resource
mobilisation theory, sectional interests
Groups and movements that pressure governments and political parties seeking
government to change policy are vital features of democracy. Without the combined
actions of people participating in groups and social movements, those who
wish to hold office may not be aware of issues affecting constituents or how changes
to policy may affect them.
Knowing about pressure groups and social movements is critical in considering
democracy, government and policy making. This chapter discusses what pressure
groups and social movements are, when they form, who joins them, how they work,
and why they cease to exist. These considerations shine a light on some of the
important theories about group power. The chapter also reflects on whether these
groups are good for democracy and discusses the kinds of pressure groups and
social movements in Australia.
Byrne, Moira (2019). Pressure groups and social movements. In Peter J. Chen, Nicholas Barry, John
R. Butcher, David Clune, Ian Cook, Adele Garnier, Yvonne Haigh, Sara C. Motta and Marija Taflaga,
eds. Australian politics and policy: senior edition. Sydney: Sydney University Press. DOI: 10.30722/
sup.9781743326671
429