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As elsewhere pressure groups in France operate on all levels of the political process: shaping public opinion, manipulating political parties, pressing for favorable legislation in Parliament and for desirable rulings by the executive. What distinguishes the tactics and the effects of pressure-group action from those in other countries results rather from the particu larities of the French political apparatus, from the uneven de velopment of economic growth, and from the divided loyalties of the French people. Because of the lack of disciplined par ties in a multiparty parliamentary system, interest groups can operate from within the cabinet. The question to which ex tent it has penetrated the once solidly walled sphere of the high administration is controversial. But that the rigidity and an "immobilism," characteristic of pressure groups everywhere, is transferred in France to the machinery of government, is gen erally admitted; it leads to an analogous immobilism of the political organs and hence has contributed to the crisis of the French Republic.

Lobbying is the sum of all communicated influ ences—both direct and indirect—on legislators concerning leg islation. It is indispensable to effective lawmaking which, in a democracy, is always the product of compromise. Every Member of Congress is a message center and reagent in the vast communications system through which the electorate make known their needs. The "good" representative is he who effectively accommodates opposing interests within his con stituency; who successfully relates the needs of his constituents to those of the people as a whole; and who harmonizes his re sponses to the demands made upon him with the dictates of his conscience. The touchstone of "good" lobbying and "bad" lobbying is only whether the message conveyed is intelligible and accurate, or cryptic and misleading. Legislation will be improved when more and more people learn to intervene di rectly in the conduct of our national affairs. Venal lobbying is already the subject of criminal prohibition and penalty, and indirect, or "grass-roots" lobbying is best kept within check by vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws, to assure "the widest possible dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources."

"Pressure Groups in British Politics provides an appraisal of an increasingly important area of politics in Britain. Beginning with a definition of pressure groups and an examination of their historical development since 1945, including their expansion into EU lobbying, the author goes on to discuss and analyse the changing strategies of pressure groups and their effectiveness in influencing the policy-making process." "Key features: coverage of the theoretical aspects of pressure groups; brief case studies covering actual pressure group activity; illustrated with black and white photographs; and end of chapter further reading references providing additional useful sources."--Jacket

During the past few decades the number of pres sure groups has rapidly multiplied, the scope of their activities has vastly expanded, and their methods and tactics have become more professionalized and subtle. Today the more highly organized groups have lobbyists in Washington and in many state capitals, well-staffed bureaus of press agents and research personnel, and active membership groups across the nation. In general, pressure groups function in a pragmatic fashion, employing any procedures or methods which will ef fectively promote their aims. Pressure groups attempt to ex ert influence on every phase of the political process. They en deavor to influence their own members and other groups; urge political parties to endorse favored policies; work for the selec tion of "friendly" officials; and attempt to secure favorable decisions from executive, legislative, and judicial officials. Pos sibly the most significant contemporary development in pres sure-group activity is the continual increase in their efforts to mold public sentiment by utilizing the media of mass communi cation. Noteworthy recent developments in this area include the widespread use of institutional advertising and the estab lishment of the foundation, committees, councils, and institutes which have as their basic purpose the influencing of public attitudes.