47126
| Question | Answer |
| Think tank: | A pressure group specifically formed to develop policy proposals and campaign for their acceptance amongst opinion formers and policy-makers. |
| Civil society: | The sphere of independent bodies, groups and associations that operate outside government control (including families, businesses and pressure groups). |
| Social movement: | A large group of people who are distinguished by common aspirations and a high level of political commitment, but often lacking clear organization. |
| Sectional group: | A pressure group that exists to advance or protect the (usually material) interests of its members. |
| Peak group: | A group that coordinates the activities of different pressure groups in the same area of interest; peak groups often work closely with government. |
| Promotional group: | A pressure group that exists to advance particular values, ideas and principles. |
| Non-governmental organization: | A not-for-profit group that draws members from more than one country and is active at an international level. |
| Insider group: | A pressure group that enjoys regular, privileged and usually institutionalized access to government. |
| Quango: | A quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization: a public body staffed by appointees rather than politicians or civil servants. |
| Outsider group: | A pressure group that is either not consulted by government or consulted only irregularly and not usually at a senior level. |
| Functional representation: | The representation of groups based on their function within the economy or society; examples include industries, employers, professions, workers, and so on. |
| Chequebook group: | A pressure group in which activism is restricted to full-time professionals, with the mass membership serving primarily as a source of financial support (through subscriptions and donations). |
| Expert authority: | Respect for people's views based on their specialist knowledge; to be 'an' authority rather than 'in' authority. |
| Policy network: | Links between government and non-governmental bodies (including well-placed lobbyists, sympathetic academics, leading journalists and others) through which policy proposals are developed. |
| Direct action: | Political action that is direct in that it imposes sanctions that affect government or the running of the country; direct action is often (but not necessarily) illegal. |
| Civil disobedience: | Law-breaking that is justified by reference to 'higher' religious, moral or political principles; breaking the law to 'make a point'. |
| Elitism: | The theory that political power is concentrated in the hands of the few, an elite, sometimes called a 'power elite'. |
| Cyberactivism: | Political action based on the use of 'new' technology - the Internet, mobile phones, e-petitions, electronic voting, and so on. |
| Corporatism: | The incorporation of key economic groups into the processes of government, creating a partnership between government, business and labour. |
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