1. Discuss how campaigns affect policy making
AC 4.3
Discuss how campaigns affect policy making

2. What are pressure groups?
Pressure groups are organisations which campaign for changes in the law or new policies in areas such as crime.
Pressure groups allow people the opportunity to participate in democracy by being involved in social change without necessarily joining a political party.

3. Pressure Group campaigns example
Knifecrime .org campaigns for greater public awareness and for changes to the law
They “recruit” politicians to be part of their campaign in order to influence policy

4. Example of pressure put on government to change the law on sentencing

5. One week later….
Knifecrime.org successfully managed to get the issue debated in a government committee…

6. Example 1 What was the Effect on policy?
Read the article to answer the questions below:
Go to the section “What is being done?”
What police interventions resulted from the campaign?
Were there any downsides to these interventions?
How much money did the government pledge to 150 small groups? What theory is this approach linked to?
What changes in legislation have resulted from the campaign? Why might this not work?
What is the minimum term for a knife murder since 2009? (see source xii at the bottom of the page)

7. What does this say about how effective the law changes have been?
How many people have been killed with a knife in London over the last two weeks?
What does this say about how effective the law changes have been?

8. Now research two more examples of pressure group anti-crime campaigns
Fill out the information on your AC 4.3 Revision grid. Include the following information:
Name of pressure group
Effect on policy

9. Newspaper Campaigns
Why are newspapers so helpful in promoting campaigns?
Around 15 million papers bought every day (doesn’t include free papers)
Online readership is greater (see following slide)
What are the potential issues with having campaigns advertised in newspapers?

10. Newspaper readership Title Print (000s) Website only (000s)
Combined (000s)
The Sun/The Sun (Sunday)
12,400
1,076
13,476
Daily Mail/The Mail on Sunday
9,521
2,449
11,970
Metro
7,458
389
7,847
Daily Mirror/Sunday Mirror/The People
6,762
1,123
7,885
The Guardian/The Observer
2,781
2,475
5,257
The Daily Telegraph/The Sunday Telegraph
3,051
1,848
4,899
The Times/The Sunday Times
4,347
178
4,525
London Evening Standard
3,471
272
3,743
The Independent/The Independent on Sunday/i
2,607
1,056
3,662
Daily Express/Sunday Express
2,683
291
2,974
Daily Star/Daily Star Sunday
2,774
151
2,924

11. Does the media socially construct our opinions?

12. Do newspapers guide our behaviour?

13. Unit 1 AC2.1 Campaign comparison Chart
Go back to your campaign comparison chart saved in your docs.
For each campaign you have evaluated discuss whether it has been successful in affecting policies and how
Internet Research: Use the link below to find other successful campaigns that have used newspapers

14. Individual Campaigns Lillian’s Law – Which media types used?

15. Individual Campaigns Research your own examples
Use Claire’s Law and at least one other and note down:
Media types used
Evidence campaign was successful – did it change policy? Did it hit target audience?
Other important factors from AC2.1 Unit 1 booklet