Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
What are pressure groups and social movements?
Political scientists use a number of terms to describe pressure groups, including
interest groups and lobby groups. 1 The term ‘pressure groups’ refers to organisations
that pressure government to change policy, whether for their own interest
or in the interest of others. A pressure group more broadly is defined as an association
that seeks to represent a sector of society and make a direct or indirect claim
on government to influence policy, without wanting to govern. 2
Interest groups seek to represent their own interests in government policy
without wanting to govern. Advocacy groups advocate for others. Some pressure
groups are both interest groups and advocacy groups. 3 They might represent some
of their own interests, but also the interests of others.
The term ‘social movement’ refers to shared opinions and beliefs in a population
which indicate preferences for changing elements of the social structure or
operation. 4 These coalesce into people’s campaigns to change society and culture.
Sociologist Sidney Tarrow observed that major societal changes such as war,
recession, political instability, or large demographic or technological change often
prompt ‘waves of protest’ which give rise to social movements. 5 Typically, social
movements centre on a broad issue, so are also known as issue movements.
What’s the difference between pressure groups and social movements?
Pressure groups differ from ‘social movements’ because they are specifically
organised to influence policy. Social movements evolve more organically and are
less concerned with changing government policy than with changing society more
broadly. Social movements may develop as people accept changing attitudes on
an issue, or because a political voice is required to address social exclusion.
Movements can place pressure on politicians at a grassroots level as people in
society accept a change about an issue, 6 but this is not their reason for being.
In essence, social movements are formed solely in the community, rather than
forminginrelationtothestate.Counter-movementsisatermusedtodescribe
opinions mobilised in opposition to a social movement (e.g. the men’s rights
movement in reaction to feminism). 7
Collective action is intrinsic to pressure groups and social movements because
they employ group power to alter public policy. 8 Many activities may not be directly
political,butgroupsandmovementsspendatleastsomeoftheirtimeandresources
1 Richardson 1993, 1.
2 Halpin 2012, 179; Matthews 1980, 447; Richardson 1993, 1; Smith 1993, 2.
3 Sawer 2007, 24–5.
4 McCarthy and Zald 1977, 1217–8.
5 Tarrow 1994.
6 Marsh 1995, 53–4.
7 McCarthy and Zald 1977, 1218.
8 Cook 2004, 138.
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