pressure group
noun /ˈpreʃə ɡruːp/
/ˈpreʃər ɡruːp/
- a group of people who try to influence the government and ordinary people’s opinions in order to achieve the action they want, for example a change in a law
压力集团（向政府和公众施加影响的团体） - the environmental pressure group ‘Greenpeace’
“绿色和平” 这个环保压力集团
Culture pressure groupspressure groupsPressure groups work for the benefit of a particular section of society, for example children or nurses, or for a particular issue or cause. Groups that work for a section of society are sometimes called interest groups. Those that work for a particular cause are known as promotional groups or simply pressure groups. These pressure groups operate in a similar way in Britain and in the US.There are several types of interest groups. Trade unions and labor unions represent workers in industry and are mostly concerned with their wages and health, safety, etc. Professional bodies such as the BMA (British Medical Association) are similar to trade unions and the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) represents the interests of employers. In Britain several watchdogs have been established by Act of Parliament to monitor certain industries, for example, Ofgem, which watches the gas and electricity industries for the benefit of users. Many promotional groups are linked to charities. Since charities are not allowed to take part in party political activity, many set up a related organization to act as a pressure group. In the US many pressure groups form political action committees which are allowed to give money to political campaigns. Well-known promotional groups include Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International. There are also many smaller groups, usually less permanent, which are formed to protest about local issues.Pressure groups aim to influence the government to the benefit of their members or the cause they support. They may draw attention to problems by asking people to sign a petition (= a formal request signed by many people), often online, by giving media interviews, or by organizing demonstrations that will attract public and media attention. Many groups try to get the support of well-known people such as pop stars. They also try to persuade politicians to support their cause and to speak about it in Parliament or Congress, a practice known as lobbying. Government departments may talk to pressure groups when changes to the law are being considered. There are some groups that are ready to break the law in order to achieve their aims.Topics Politicsc2 - the environmental pressure group ‘Greenpeace’