Advocacy group facts for kids
Advocacy groups, also known as lobby groups or interest groups, are like teams of people who work together to make a difference. They try to influence what people think and how decisions are made, especially by the government. These groups play a big part in how our societies and political systems grow and change.
People form these groups for many reasons, like shared political beliefs, economic goals, religious views, or to help the community. They use different ways to reach their goals, such as talking to lawmakers (this is called lobbying), running campaigns in the media, creating public awareness, doing research, and sharing information. Some groups have a lot of support from businesses or politicians, which gives them a lot of power. Others have fewer resources but still work hard to make their voices heard.
Some advocacy groups have become very important parts of society and politics, even growing into large social movements. While most groups work for good, some powerful ones have been accused of trying to unfairly influence the system for their own benefit. Groups with less money sometimes use direct action, like peaceful protests, to get attention for their causes. Today, many advocacy groups use social media to connect with people and encourage them to get involved.
Contents
History in Great Britain
Early Beginnings
Advocacy groups started to grow in England around the mid-1700s because of big changes in politics and the economy. One of the first large movements began with a politician named John Wilkes. He was the editor of a newspaper called The North Briton. Wilkes strongly criticized the government and the peace agreement made after the Seven Years' War in 1763.
He was arrested for writing things that criticized the government, but Wilkes argued his arrest was against the law. A judge eventually agreed with him. Because of this, Wilkes became a hero to many ordinary people who wanted more say in their government. People started shouting "Wilkes and Liberty!" in the streets.
After some time away, Wilkes tried to get elected to Parliament. When he was put in prison in 1768, many people came out to support him, protesting with the slogan "No liberty, no King." Even though he couldn't be in Parliament, Wilkes became an important local official in London. A group called the Society for the Supporters of the Bill of Rights started working hard to promote his ideas. This was one of the very first ongoing advocacy groups. They held public meetings, protests, handed out flyers, and organized large petitions. This group was careful not to cause a rebellion. Instead, they tried to fix problems in government by using existing laws and by speaking out outside of Parliament. Their strong influence in London eventually made the authorities agree to their demands. Wilkes was allowed back into Parliament, general arrest warrants were declared illegal, and newspapers gained more freedom to report on Parliament.
Another important advocacy group that appeared in the late 1700s was the British movement against slavery. They started with a boycott of sugar in 1791 and later organized a huge petition drive in 1806. This led to the Slave Trade Act 1807, which made the slave trade illegal in 1807. Historians believe that these early groups helped more people get involved in politics outside of Parliament.
Growth and Spread
After 1815, following the Napoleonic Wars, Britain saw a lot of social change. This period was marked by the growing use of social movements and special interest groups. Chartism was the first big movement of working-class people in the world. From 1838 to 1848, they campaigned for political changes, like universal suffrage (the right for all adults to vote) and the secret ballot (voting in private). The term "social movements" was first used in 1848 by a German sociologist named Lorenz von Stein to describe groups fighting for social rights.
Later in the 1800s, the labor movement and socialist movement became very important. These led to the creation of political parties and organizations focused on workers' rights. Similar movements for reform also happened in poorer countries, like Russia, leading to big changes in their governments.
After the World Wars, new social movements emerged. These included groups fighting for women's rights, gay rights, peace, civil rights, stopping nuclear weapons, and protecting the environment. Some of these are called "general interest groups" because they work for the good of everyone, not just a specific group. These movements led to the creation of green political parties and other groups. In the late 1990s, a new global social movement, the anti-globalization movement, started to appear. Some experts believe that with globalization, we might see even newer types of global citizen movements.
United States
In the United States, advocacy groups have also played a big role. For example, the Grand Army of the Republic was a very powerful group of soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. They successfully pushed for pensions for veterans and helped elect several presidents who were also veterans. This group was also a secret club, offered local help, and provided entertainment.
One of the most famous social movements in the 20th century was the civil rights movement, led by people like Martin Luther King Jr.. This movement fought for equal rights for African Americans.
Activities
Advocacy groups do many different things, depending on their goals:
- Anti-defamation organizations speak out against unfair or untrue statements or actions that harm a specific group of people they represent.
- Watchdog groups keep an eye on what governments and companies do. They might rate actions or media to show how good or bad they are for certain groups.
- Lobby groups try to convince lawmakers to change laws or keep existing ones. Big businesses often spend a lot of money to influence politicians. Rules are in place to prevent lobbying from becoming unfair or corrupt. In the U.S., there's a clear difference between lobbying and simply advocating for a cause.
- Legal defense funds provide money to help people or groups with legal cases that are important to their cause.
- Astroturfing groups try to hide who is really behind a message or organization. They make it seem like a message comes from ordinary people when it's actually funded by a company or political group. This is done to make the message seem more believable.
- Media advocacy groups use newspapers, TV, and the internet to promote fair public policies, especially those that help groups who haven't always had a fair chance.
Influence
In most democratic countries, advocacy groups often try to influence the government's departments and agencies because that's where many decisions are made. Their goal is to convince lawmakers to support their cause by voting a certain way. Usually, only large organizations like big businesses or labor unions have easy access to talk directly with government officials. This means groups with more money often have a better chance to influence decisions. Large businesses are important to a country's economy, so governments often listen to their concerns. With the world becoming more global, big businesses can move their operations easily, which gives them even more power to influence governments.
Advocacy groups can also influence laws by lobbying. Groups with more money can hire professional lobbyists to work in government buildings. For example, Greenpeace, a large environmental group, uses lobbying to gain political support for its campaigns. They bring up environmental issues, hoping the government will create policies that encourage things like alternative energy and recycling.
The court system can also be used by advocacy groups to make a difference. In countries with written constitutions, like the United States, advocacy groups can have a big impact. For instance, in 1954, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) argued in court that separating students by race in schools was against the constitution. Because of the NAACP's efforts, the Supreme Court agreed that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional and banned it. This shows how advocacy groups can bring about big changes through the legal system.
Advocacy groups can also influence political parties. A main way they do this is by helping to fund election campaigns. For example, in the UK, the Conservative Party's campaigns often get money from large companies because the party's goals often match business interests. On the other hand, parties that focus on workers' rights, like the British Labour Party, were often funded by trade unions when they first started. Sometimes, political parties even form because of pressure from advocacy groups, like how the Labour Party grew out of the trade union movement that fought for workers' rights.
Advocacy groups also try to influence people outside of the government, through the mass media and public campaigns. They might use methods like protesting, signing petitions, and civil disobedience (peacefully refusing to obey certain laws). Groups often use the media in two ways: they might highlight that they are "outsiders" who can't easily talk to officials, hoping to gain public sympathy, or they might promote a specific set of beliefs. Historically, trade unions used strikes and marches to get attention for workers' rights, which often gained media coverage and public sympathy. In the United States, the Civil Rights Movement gained a lot of attention through civil disobedience. African Americans would peacefully break segregation laws, and when they faced violent reactions from police or others, this violence was shown around the world, highlighting the unfairness of the situation.
Advocacy group influence has also grown with globalisation, affecting international organizations. Groups that already had offices around the world, like Greenpeace, were better able to adapt to this. Greenpeace, for example, has offices in over 30 countries. Many of these groups have become recognized as nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and they often watch over the work of international bodies like the UN and the EU from their offices. Large international industries can also influence these global bodies through direct lobbying.
Influential advocacy groups
Many important advocacy groups have existed throughout history. Some of these have grown so large that they are also considered social movements. Here are some notable advocacy groups from different parts of the world:
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): A legal non-profit group in the U.S. that works to protect the individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC): An influential group that works to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.
- British Medical Association: Formed in 1832 for doctors to share knowledge. Their work led to laws that regulate doctors in the UK.
- Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: A group in the UK that has worked since 1957 to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and encourage nuclear disarmament. Their logo is now a well-known peace symbol.
- Center for Auto Safety: An organization started in 1970 to give consumers a voice for car safety and quality in the United States.
- Drug Policy Alliance: A group whose main goal is to change drug laws in the United States.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation: An international non-profit group based in the U.S. that works to protect digital rights and freedoms online.
- Energy Lobby: A general term for groups representing large oil, gas, coal, and electricity companies that try to influence government policy in the United States.
- Financial Services Roundtable: An organization representing the banking lobby.
- Greenpeace: An environmental organization formed in 1970 to stop nuclear weapons testing.
- The Human Rights Campaign: An LGBT civil rights group that works to advance LGBT rights in America.
- The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO): A group whose efforts led to the UN General Assembly holding annual meetings about creating a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
- National Rifle Association of America (NRA): An organization formed in New York in 1871 to promote shooting skills.
- Oxfam: An organization formed in 1942 in the UK to help with Famine Relief.
- Pennsylvania Abolition Society: Formed in Philadelphia in 1775 with the goal of ending slavery in the United States.
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): An animal rights group that focuses on how animals are treated on farms, in the clothing industry, in labs, and in entertainment.
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: Founded in 1889 to fight against the trade of bird feathers for women's hats.
- Sierra Club: Formed in 1892 to help protect the Sierra Nevada mountains.
- Stop the War Coalition: An organization against the War on Terrorism, which organized a very large march in London in 2003.
- Suffragettes: Groups that fought for women's right to vote in the United Kingdom from 1865 to 1928, sometimes using direct action like hunger strikes.
- The Affiliated Residential Park Residents Association Incorporated (ARPRA): Established in 1986 to represent people living in residential parks in New South Wales, Australia.
- Sunday School movement: Formed around 1751 to promote education for everyone in the UK.
- Tory Party ("Tories"): Formed in 1678 and became one of the first political parties; now known as the Conservative Party.
- US Chamber of Commerce: The largest lobby group in the U.S. based on how much money they spend.
Adversarial groupings
On some important issues, there are different advocacy groups that disagree and work against each other. They might have very different amounts of resources:
- SPEAK campaign vs Pro-Test (about animal testing in the United Kingdom)
- The Automobile Association vs Pedestrians' Association (now 'Living Streets') (about road safety in the United Kingdom since 1929)
- Tobacco Institute vs Action on Smoking and Health (about tobacco laws)
- Flying Matters vs Plane Stupid (about aviation policy in the United Kingdom since 2007)
- Pit Bull Advocates vs Pitbull Attack Victim Advocates (groups like Animal Farm Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society are against laws that target specific dog breeds, while groups like National Pitbull Awareness and DogsBite.org are for such laws)
Benefits and incentives
Free Rider Problem
Sometimes, people can benefit from an interest group's work without actually joining or paying dues. This is called the free rider problem. For example, if a group works to improve farming standards, all farmers will benefit, even those who aren't members. This can make it hard for groups to get new members and raise money.
Selective Benefits
To encourage people to join, some groups offer "selective benefits." These are special rewards given only to members. For instance, an interest group might offer members free or discounted travel, meals, or magazine subscriptions. Many trade and professional groups use these types of benefits.
Solidarity Incentives
A solidarity incentive is a reward that comes from being part of a group and connecting with others. This can include simply enjoying social time, feeling like you belong, gaining status from membership, or having fun.
Expressive Incentives
People who join a group for "expressive benefits" usually do so to show support for an idea or value they believe in, like free speech, civil rights, or political equality. They might pay dues or volunteer their time just to feel good about supporting a cause. For these members, it's enough to know they helped try to reach a goal, even if the group doesn't fully achieve it. Environmental groups and groups working for the public good often rely on these kinds of incentives.
Latent Interests
Sometimes, important public issues or interests exist but no specific group has formed to address them yet. These are called latent interests.
Theoretical perspectives
Experts have studied how advocacy groups work, especially in relation to government policy. Here are a few main ideas:
- Pluralism: This idea suggests that advocacy groups compete with each other and play a key role in the political system. They act as a balance, preventing any one group from having too much power. This view often describes political systems like the United States, which are more open and have many different power centers.
- Neo-pluralism: This idea is similar but describes political systems where advocacy groups often work closely with specific government departments. They form networks and cooperate during the policy-making process.
- Corporatism or elitism: This perspective suggests that some advocacy groups, especially those backed by private businesses, can have a very strong influence on lawmakers.
There are also ideas about how interest groups gain influence: by trading favors, sharing information, and helping to fund policy-making efforts.
See Also
- Classification of advocacy groups
- Client politics
- Identity politics
- Lobbying
- Methods used by advocacy groups
- Pressure groups in the United Kingdom
- Pressure politics
