Lesson 3.1.2.4

3.1.2.4 Pressure groups Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 1

20 questions

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Lesson 3.1.2.4, Pressure groups: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Politics (7152), Unit 1: Government and politics of the UK, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a pressure group?

    • An organisation that forms a government after winning a majority of seats in the Commons
    • An organisation that runs the House of Lords and approves all of its legislation
    • An organisation that seeks to influence government policy without seeking to form a government
    • An organisation that selects the Prime Minister and holds the cabinet to account

  2. What is an insider pressure group?

    • A group that has regular access to government and is consulted in policy making
    • A group that is formed inside the House of Lords by a vote of its members
    • A group that operates only in the courts and avoids all contact with ministers
    • A group that is funded entirely by the state to campaign for its own objectives

  3. What is an outsider pressure group?

    • A group that is funded by the Supreme Court to monitor the actions of ministers
    • A group that lacks regular access to government
    • A group that sits in the House of Lords and proposes amendments to bills
    • A group that is formally part of the cabinet and sets government policy

  4. What is the difference between promotional and sectional (interest) groups?

    • Promotional groups are always insiders and sectional groups are always outsiders by definition
    • Promotional groups are funded by the government, while sectional groups are funded by the Lords
    • Promotional groups seek to advance a cause for others, while sectional groups defend the interests of their members
    • Promotional groups represent only their members, while sectional groups campaign for everyone in the UK

  5. Which concept describes a view of politics in which power is spread among many competing groups?

    • Pluralism
    • Elitism
    • Monism
    • Absolutism

  6. What is a central criticism of the pluralist view of pressure groups?

    • It claims that pressure groups have no influence on government at any point
    • It claims that pressure groups are banned from speaking to MPs in the Commons
    • It overlooks the advantage that wealthy and well-resourced groups have in gaining access to government
    • It claims that every group has the same resources and the same access to ministers

  7. Which of the following is an example of a think tank?

    • The Supreme Court, which issues judgments on the legality of government action
    • The Cabinet Office, which co-ordinates the work of government departments
    • The House of Lords, which revises bills passed by the Commons
    • The Institute for Public Policy Research, which produces research

  8. Which of the following is best described as a lobbyist?

    • A civil servant who prepares official statistics for the cabinet each quarter
    • A judge who reviews the legality of decisions made by ministers and public bodies
    • A person or firm that seeks to influence decision makers on behalf of an interest or client
    • A member of the House of Lords who votes on bills at the revising stage

  9. Which methods are commonly used by pressure groups to influence policy?

    • Electing the Speaker and controlling the order of business in the Lords
    • Lobbying, petitions, demonstrations, media campaigns and legal action
    • Standing candidates in general elections and forming a government with a majority
    • Appointing judges to the Supreme Court and approving the monarch's speech

  10. Which factor is most likely to affect the political influence of a pressure group?

    • Its age, because older groups always have more influence than newer groups
    • Its membership size and resources, such as funding, expertise and public support
    • Its name, because groups with well-known names are automatically consulted by ministers
    • Its location, because groups based in the Lords have more access than other groups

  11. Which link between pressure groups and political parties is most accurate?

    • Some groups have close ties with parties, for example through funding
    • No group has any link with political parties, because the law forbids all such contact
    • All groups are formally part of the governing party and cannot criticise its policy
    • Groups have links only with the Supreme Court, which regulates party funding

  12. Which evaluation best supports the claim that pressure groups strengthen democracy?

    • They weaken democracy because they remove all decision making from elected representatives
    • They have no effect on democracy because they are banned from contacting MPs and ministers
    • They strengthen democracy only when they are funded entirely by the government
    • They give citizens a way to take part between elections

  13. Which evaluation best supports the claim that pressure groups can undermine democracy?

    • Pressure groups are elected by the public and so cannot undermine the democratic process
    • Pressure groups always represent the public equally, so there is no concern about influence
    • Unequal access and funding may give wealthy interests disproportionate influence over decisions
    • Pressure groups have no influence over decisions, so they cannot undermine democracy at all

  14. What is the role of the media in relation to pressure groups?

    • The media can publicise a group's campaign
    • The media has no influence on pressure groups because it is banned from covering campaigns
    • The media is controlled by the Supreme Court, which decides which campaigns can be reported
    • The media is required to support every pressure group that campaigns on a public issue

  15. Which description best matches a corporation's influence on policy?

    • Companies are prevented from contacting any minister or civil servant under the current law
    • Companies may lobby government, fund research
    • Companies are legally required to approve all government policy before it is published
    • Companies have influence only through the House of Lords, which must approve their proposals

  16. Which evaluation best assesses the importance of insider and outsider status for influence?

    • Insider groups have no influence because they are restricted from meeting any minister in person
    • Insider and outsider status makes no difference, because all groups have equal access to government
    • Outsider groups always have more influence than insider groups because they are not controlled by government
    • Insider groups often have greater access to decision makers, but outsider groups may gain influence through public pressure

  17. Which example would best illustrate an outsider group using protest to influence policy?

    • A trade association is consulted by ministers and gives evidence to a select committee
    • A national campaign group organises demonstrations
    • A professional body is appointed to the Supreme Court to decide policy disputes
    • A think tank publishes a report that the cabinet adopts after a formal meeting

  18. Which statement about the ways pressure groups seek influence is most accurate?

    • Groups use a mix of inside and outside methods, depending on their resources
    • Groups use only one method, which is standing candidates in every general election
    • Groups are restricted to lobbying the Speaker, and no other methods are permitted
    • Groups are restricted to writing letters to the monarch, which is the only method allowed

  19. Which of the following is an example of an outsider group?

    • A professional body that is regularly consulted by ministers on new regulations
    • A trade association that gives evidence to select committees on sector policy
    • A Commons committee that scrutinises the work of the Department of Health
    • A campaign group that uses demonstrations

  20. What is meant by pluralism in the study of pressure groups?

    • The view that a small elite of wealthy individuals controls all government decisions
    • The view that pressure groups must always be funded by the state to be legitimate
    • The view that the monarch holds final power over all pressure groups in the UK
    • The view that power is dispersed among many competing groups, so no single group dominates policy

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