pressure group
Organized influence collective
A pressure group is an organized body that seeks to influence government policy or public opinion on a particular issue without seeking electoral power.
Unlike political parties, pressure groups focus on specific causes rather than broad platforms: Environmental pressure groups lobbied against the pipeline.
The term is more common in British than American English, where "interest group" or "advocacy group" often substitutes.
Paid legislative influencer
- activistVigorous cause champion
- advocatePublic cause supporter
- representativeOne who acts for another
- delegateEntrust authority to another
spokesperson · organizer · donor · constituent · special interest · trade association · watchdog · public interest
Temporary alliance for action
- allianceFormal union of parties
- federationUnion of semi-autonomous states
- associationGroup with shared aim
- consortiumCooperative group for ventures
union · confederation · network · caucus · committee · council · chapter · membership
Advocating to decision-makers
- petitioningFormally requesting action
- campaigningActively pursuing political support
- boycottOrganized economic protest
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
rally · march · protest · sit-in · picketing · direct action · civil disobedience · leafleting
Borrowed capital for amplified returns
- cloutInformal power or punch
- swayRock back and forth
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- bargainingNegotiating mutually acceptable terms
negotiation · backroom · access · connections · power · manipulation · arm-twisting · insider
Official enactment of statutes
- amendmentChange to official text
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- billAmount owed, written
ordinance · ballot measure · referendum · initiative · mandate · moratorium · repeal · oversight
lobbyist
Paid legislative influencer
- activistVigorous cause champion
- advocatePublic cause supporter
- representativeOne who acts for another
delegate · spokesperson · organizer · donor · constituent · special interest · trade association · watchdog · public interest · single-issue
coalition
Temporary alliance for action
- allianceFormal union of parties
- federationUnion of semi-autonomous states
- associationGroup with shared aim
consortium · union · confederation · network · caucus · committee · council · chapter · membership · astroturf
lobbying
Advocating to decision-makers
- petitioningFormally requesting action
- campaigningActively pursuing political support
- boycottOrganized economic protest
demonstration · rally · march · protest · sit-in · picketing · direct action · civil disobedience · leafleting · door-to-door
leverage
Borrowed capital for amplified returns
- cloutInformal power or punch
- swayRock back and forth
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
bargaining · negotiation · backroom · access · connections · power · manipulation · arm-twisting · insider · quid pro quo
legislation
Official enactment of statutes
- amendmentChange to official text
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
bill · ordinance · ballot measure · referendum · initiative · mandate · moratorium · repeal · oversight · accountability
- advocacy groupslobbying groups, NAACP, lobby groups, Amnesty International, watchdog groups
- factionsfactions, faction, splinter groups, splinter party, blocs
- nonprofitscharity shop, charity organizations, nonprofit, nonprofits, charities
- lobbyinglobbying, lobby, lobbyist, lobbyists, lobbying firms
- political bodiesgovernment, legislature, parliament, senate, cabinet
- Political Groupsfaction, Republican Party, caucus, Democratic Party, wing
pressure grouppolitical party
Election-seeking ideological organization
government · ruling party · legislature · elected officials · parliament
pressure groupsilent majority
Presumed moderate, publicly mute multitude
group, pressure, compress, pressured, decompress, compression, oppression, pressures, oppressor