Nikiforeio - iDealErasmus+  2014 - 2017

What is a pressure group

A pressure group can be described as an organized group that does not put up candidates for election, but seeks to influence government policy or legislation. They can also be described as ‘interest groups’, ‘lobby groups’ or ‘protest groups’. Some people avoid using the term ‘pressure group’ as it can inadvertently be interpreted as meaning the groups use actual pressure to achieve their aims, which does not necessarily happen. In EU democracies, the number of political parties in a country is very small, whereas the number of pressure groups runs into thousands; as the membership of political parties has fallen, that of pressure groups has increased.
How do pressure groups influence decision makers?

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