Who are pressure groups and what do they do

Updated: Feb 22

Pressure groups are non-profit organizations that aims to influence society and businesses to be socially and environmentally responsible.


They therefore have specific objectives that aims to solve a social problem or promote a social cause. Among the activities that pressure groups use to influence businesses are;


  1. Organize protests, boycott and events to create awareness on a social issue

  2. Lobby legislators to impose stricter legal controls such as

  3. financial penalties for failing to observe procedures

  4. Taxes on services or activities that may create external cost

  5. Provide grants and subsidies to businesses to promote sustainable practices.


However, pressure groups can only be effective if they are;

  1. Well organized and financed

  2. Have significant public support and recognition

  3. Well publicized in mass media

  4. Able to influence consumers behaviour (to boycott specific products)

  5. Have expertise that can expose and prove illegal activities by the business



RELATED CONCEPTS


  1. Legal controls

  2. Taxes


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