Pressure GroupsWhat is a pressure group? A pressure group is an organization that does not run candidates in elections, but seeks to influence government policy or legislation. For example, in March 1998 around 300,000 people traveled to London to protest against the Labor government's rural policies, such as the Country March - the government responded by announcing plans for a Ministry of Rural Affairs and publishing a white paper investigating all the aspects of rural life. Pressure groups also provide a means of participation in local politics between elections. They can also be described as interest groups, lobby groups or protest groups. A pressure group can be a large organization such as the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), which represents 150,000 businesses, and it can also be a smaller scale pressure group such as CLARA (Central Area Leamington Resident's Association), which represents less than 300 families campaigning to improve Leamington Spa. There are numerous smaller pressure groups that are formed just to influence a decision (for example a group may form to protest against the building of a telephone pole). The purpose of all pressure groups is to influence the people who actually have the power to make decisions and seek to influence the decisions made by those who hold political power. Pressure groups provide a means of popular participation in national politics between elections. Sometimes they manage to gather enough support to force the government to change or even eliminate legislation. A pressure group can use a variety of different methods to influence government law and legislation. First, it can inform legislators about its members' preferences. Alternatively, it could provide financial incentives or time to help with an election campaign. Its members can also threaten, as a group, to vote en masse against a party. Fourth, an advocacy group could expedite legislation by writing bills. Finally, a pressure group can attempt to influence members of the executive, who have some input into the legislative process and who can partly decide the strength and