Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
• Groups of people sharing a common trait or concerns form non-association
pressure groups. 36 Examples include particular cultural groups or localised
citizens concerned about a particular development in their town or suburb.
• Organised groups represent interests in a more sophisticated way through
institutions, such as businesses, educational institutions and non-government
organisations.
• Associations and specific lobbying organisations representing particular
groups advocate to influence how political, social and economic goods are
distributed in explicit policy changes. 37
How the latter advocate depends on the structure of the pressure group.
Structures and roles of pressure groups
The structures of pressure groups depend upon their organisation and expertise.
While no single structure is common to pressure groups, typical features can be
observed. Pressure groups require spokespeople to provide media comment. Depending
on the pressure group’s size, other spokespeople may handle specific policy
areas, and organisational teams focus on specific areas of policy. Pressure groups are
often quite geographically diverse, so regional co-ordination may be needed (though
since the internet became widespread, this is less important). Behind the figureheads
and policy teams, administration workers keep the group running.
Pressure group organisations tend to be concentrated in the national and state
capital cities, professional, and to varying degrees, integrated into the policy process.
38 Differing constitutional powers means that state governments are lobbied on
some issues, whereas the Commonwealth is lobbied on others. Often, both levels
of government receive representations. However, representation is only one role of
pressure groups.
In their quest to change policy, pressure groups often perform three distinct roles:
• Representation has a number of meanings in political science, but in this
chapter it refers to participation in the polity. Pressure groups represent both
constituencies and issues, mostly at the same time. While representing issues
is relatively straightforward, representing constituencies is more fraught. Some
constituencies expect representatives to convey the demands of the majority –
commonly called the ‘delegate’ model of representation. Other constituencies
expect representatives to gather relevant research and information, weigh up
the issues and use their own judgement to seek the best outcomes for those
represented – the ‘advocate’ model of representation. Of these two models, the
latter provides representatives with greater freedom of action.
36 Matthews 1980, 447.
37 Hogan 1996, 158.
38 Warhurst 2006, 331.
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