"Critically evaluate the relationship between Members of Parliament, political parties and pressure groups in the formation of legislation."

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'The question may not be to everyone's taste, but it is qute straightforward when you think about it. Most sylllabuses contain some kind of reference to influences on legislation and this is really just asking for that, but with a particular slant. Never be put off by the wording of questions - much as you might believe they are designed to catch you out, quite the opposite is the case. Questions are phrased carefully, so that you know exactly what you are looking for. This sometimes means that the phrasing is a little clumsy or heavy-handed, but if you just take a minute and think about the question, you'll soon discover that you understand it. The frequently heard cry after an exam is "Oh! is that what they wanted? I knew the subject but I didn't think that was on the paper!" Don't be one of those people. 'Read' and 'think' are the key words.'

Source: Question 3 - Law General Legal Principles - Liz Sherratt (Philip Allan Publishers [1998])

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In any essay you MUST demonstrate to the examiner that you are answering the essay title/question. KEEP RELATING BACK TO THE WORDS USED IN THE ESSAY TITLE/QUESTION.

Do not rush into answering an essay title/question. Before you start to write - THINK ABOUT THE QUESTION AND THE MEANING OF THE WORDS USED IN THE TITLE. In your introduction - explain how you are going to answer the question. Then answer the question (see below outline for ideas) and then in your conclusion give an overview which explains how you have answered the question.

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This question is asking about influences on legislation.
The question really sets out the structure for you - you should discuss each of the three bodies (MPs, political parties and pressure groups) plus some discussion of the legislative process.

In your answer - you must critically evaluate the RELATIONSHIP between MP's and political parties and pressure groups in the formation of legislation.

Consider, for example, how pressure groups influence law making. Legislative influence will often depend on the methods employed by the pressure group to get their demands across, e.g. media campaigns will often generate support, but access to government channels is what is really needed. You should put in your own examples of pressure groups.

Consider how political parties influence law-making, both inside and outside Parliament, e.g. all parties will produce a manifesto which sets out their proposals for new and revised laws. MPs will often be asked to present outline proposals to Parliament by their constituents and pressure groups, introducing bills under the 10-minute rule or succeeding in the ballot to introduce a private member's bill. Try and include current examples of private member's bills.

Some DISCUSSION ideas (remember - the marks are in the discussion):

(1) Think about the Green/White Paper process. How have/do political parties influence the agenda setting in relation to new legislation?
(2) Are Government Ministers/Members of Parliament influenced by their political parties manifesto?
(3) Can/do opposition parties arguments and policies influence government policy?
(4) Is the green/white paper process the axis upon which pressure groups can influence government plans for new legislation?
(5) What is the relationship between 'insider' and 'outsider' pressure groups in relation to access to Ministers/Members of Parliament and Senior Civil Servants? Is this relationship constructive and good for democracy? Could it lead to undue or inbalanced influence?