Posted by Chester Morton / Friday 8 April 2016 / No comments
Types of Pressure Groups
PRESSURE
GROUPS
Meaning
of Pressure Group
A
pressure group can be defined as a group of people, who come together with the
sole aim of influencing government policies and laws in their favour. The Ghana
Bar Association and Ghana National Association of Teachers are few examples of
pressure groups.
TYPES OF
PRESSURE GROUPS
Professional
pressure group
One of
the many types of pressure groups is the professional pressure groups. The
members of this type of pressure are of the same profession. They receive the
same training and function in the same way. They come together with the sole
aim of influencing government policies and programmes in their favour. Examples
of such pressure groups include Ghana Bar Association (G.B.A.) and Ghana
Medical Association (G.M.A.).
Economic
Pressure Groups
Another
type of pressure group is the economic pressure group. The members of this
pressure group work in the same industry or do the same type of business. Their
main aim is influence government policies favour them and to promote the
interest of their members. Examples include the industrial and Commercial
Workers Union, Trade Union Congress and Agricultural Workers Union.
Educational
Pressure Group
Another
type of pressure group is the educational pressure group. The members of this
group are either students or staffs of an academic institution like the
Universities or polytechnics. Examples of educational pressure group include,
the Teachers and Educational Workers Union, the National Union of Ghanaian
Students and the Ghana National Association of Polytechnic Students.
Religious
Pressure Groups
There are
also groups that can be described as religious pressure groups. The members of
this group also come together with the sole aim of influencing government
policies in their favour. They, for example, will support any government policy
that promotes religious freedom and will oppose any government policy that
tries to stifle religious freedom and plurality. A few of these types of
pressure group include, Christian Religious Groups the Christian Council of
Ghana.
Promotional
Pressure Groups
The members
of this type of pressure group do not necessarily benefit directly from their
own operations. The benefactors of their actions are people they may not even
directly know. The Centre for Democratic Development can be classified as a
promotional pressure group because it tends to champion the practice of
democratic principles in Ghana.
SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
1. a.
What is a pressure group? [2 marks]
b. Highlight five types of pressure groups.
[10 marks]
2.
Identify and explain with relevant examples six types of pressure groups. [12
marks]
