Influences on Parliament | OCR A-Level Law
For Specification H418
OCR A-Level Law | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 45 minutes
Influences on Parliament A-Level Law revision examines why proposals for new laws do not arise in isolation. Parliament can be influenced by government policy, public opinion, the media, pressure groups and lobbyists. OCR requires you to understand these influences in outline rather than learn complicated political processes. This topic builds on how proposals become legislation through types of Bills [Types of Bill] and the legislative process [Legislative stages], before preparing you to evaluate how effective different influences are later in the course.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Explain political influences on Parliament.
Explain how public opinion can influence Parliament.
Explain the role of the media as an influence on Parliament.
Explain how pressure groups and lobbyists can influence law making.
Use supported examples to illustrate different influences.
Distinguish the main influences on Parliament.
Revision Notes 📚
What influences Parliament?
Parliament is responsible for creating Acts of Parliament, but ideas for legislation may come from a range of sources. OCR specifically identifies:
political influences
public opinion
the media
pressure groups
lobbyists
the Law Commission
For this part of the specification, you need to explain how these influences operate only in outline. You should be able to identify specific influences and support your knowledge with relevant examples where the supplied material provides them.
The detailed work of the Law Commission is considered separately in law reform by the Law Commission [The Law Commission].
Political influences on Parliament
One of the most important influences on Parliament is government policy.
Government policy
A political party normally enters an election with a manifesto, setting out policies it intends to pursue if elected. When a party wins an election and forms the government, it can argue that it has a democratic mandate to pursue those policies.
This provides a direct connection between elections and parliamentary law making:
A political party proposes policies.
It seeks support from voters.
If elected, it forms a government.
The government attempts to implement its policies.
Some policies require legislation and therefore enter the parliamentary law-making process.
This connects closely with Green and White Papers [Green and White Papers], which can form part of the development of proposals before legislation reaches Parliament.
The OCR material therefore treats government policy as a major political influence because an elected government has democratic authority to attempt to carry out its manifesto commitments.
Government priorities
Not every proposal will necessarily become law. Parliamentary time is limited and the government must decide which proposals receive priority.
This means political influence affects not only what reforms are proposed, but also which proposed reforms are given sufficient parliamentary attention to progress.
You do not need a detailed study of party politics for H418. The key point is:
Political influence occurs when elected politicians and government policy shape the laws Parliament is asked to consider.
Individual MPs and Private Members' Bills
The OCR materials also recognise that individual Members of Parliament can raise issues through Private Members' Bills.
A Private Member's Bill may enable an MP to bring attention to an issue affecting constituents or to a more specialised issue that is not part of the government's main legislative programme.
This links directly to different types of legislation [Types of Bill].
Even where a proposed Bill does not ultimately become law, putting the issue before Parliament may increase its profile.
Public opinion
Public opinion means the views held and expressed by members of the public about political, social and legal issues.
Public opinion can influence Parliament because elected representatives are expected to be responsive to the people they represent.
Public opinion may become visible through:
protests and campaigns
widespread public discussion
media coverage
major campaigns on particular issues
referendums on major questions
OCR's 2024 material gives examples including Sarah's Law, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter as issues or movements associated with public pressure, while Brexit is identified as an example of a major issue on which public opinion was expressed through a referendum.
These examples should be used carefully. They demonstrate different ways in which public opinion can become politically significant. You should not automatically claim that every public campaign directly caused a particular Act of Parliament.
How public opinion influences Parliament
At the level required for OCR, the process can be understood simply:
Public concern → greater attention to an issue → political pressure → possible parliamentary response
For example, if an issue attracts widespread public attention, MPs and the government may face pressure to investigate it, debate it or consider changing the law.
Public opinion therefore acts as an influence rather than itself making law. Parliament remains responsible for passing legislation.
The media
The media is specifically identified by OCR as an influence on Parliament.
The media and public opinion are closely connected, but they are not identical.
Public opinion is what members of the public think about an issue.
The media is one means through which issues and opinions can be communicated, discussed and given greater prominence.
Media attention can increase awareness of an issue and place it on the political agenda.
Traditional and newer forms of media can therefore provide a route through which concerns reach politicians.
OCR's materials connect media coverage particularly closely with public campaigns and protest movements.
Media influence in an exam
You do not need a detailed explanation of the media industry. Keep your answer focused on law making.
A useful explanation is:
The media can give significant publicity to an issue, increasing public awareness and placing pressure on politicians to consider whether a legal response is required.
Be careful not to assume that media attention guarantees legislative change. It is an influence, not a law-making body.
Pressure groups
A pressure group is an organised group that campaigns to influence political decisions or public policy in an area that concerns its members or supporters.
Unlike political parties, pressure groups are relevant here because of their attempts to influence those who make law rather than because they are seeking to form the government.
At OCR level, pressure groups may influence Parliament by:
campaigning on a particular issue
raising public awareness
attracting media attention
providing research or specialist knowledge
increasing the political profile of an issue
OCR identifies research and expertise as an important feature of pressure-group influence.
Supported pressure-group examples
OCR's 2024 mark scheme identifies:
Fathers for Justice, as an example of a pressure group that has raised the profile of issues
Stonewall, as an example of a pressure group described as having achieved greater success
These are useful examples because they show that pressure groups can have different degrees of influence.
The essential principle is:
Pressure group campaign → increased awareness or specialist input → pressure on decision-makers → possible legal or political change
Again, pressure groups cannot themselves pass Acts of Parliament.
Lobbyists and special interest groups
Lobbying involves attempting to influence those involved in political decision making.
A lobbyist therefore seeks to persuade politicians or other decision-makers to support a particular position.
OCR groups lobbying with the influence of special interest groups and provides examples involving:
trade unions
business interests
political donations
lobbying activity
Some organisations may possess specialist knowledge about the area in which legislation is being considered. They may therefore try to persuade Parliament or government that a particular legal approach should be adopted.
For this lesson, you only need an outline explanation of how lobbying acts as an influence.
Pressure groups and lobbyists compared
Influence | Main idea | How it may influence Parliament |
Pressure group | An organised group campaigning around an issue | Raises awareness, campaigns, provides research or expertise |
Lobbyist | Seeks to persuade political decision-makers | Presents the interests or arguments of a person, organisation or sector |
Public opinion | Views expressed by members of the public | Creates political pressure for an issue to be addressed |
Media | Communicates and gives prominence to issues | Increases awareness and may amplify public pressure |
Political influence | Government and elected politicians pursuing policies | Places proposals for legal change onto the parliamentary agenda |
These influences can overlap. For example, a pressure group may attract media attention, which changes public awareness and increases political pressure.
How the influences interact
An important feature of this topic is that influences do not necessarily operate separately.
A legal issue might develop through several connected stages:
A pressure group campaigns about an issue.
Media coverage increases awareness.
Public concern grows.
MPs or government respond to that concern.
A proposal for reform may eventually enter Parliament.
This does not mean every campaign follows this pattern. It simply shows why you should understand the relationships between the different influences.
Once proposals reach Parliament, your knowledge of legislative stages [Legislative stages] becomes relevant.
Supported examples to remember
The OCR materials provide several examples that can support examination answers:
Influence | Supported example |
Political influence | Government policy and manifesto commitments |
Political influence | Private Members' Bills |
Public opinion and media | Sarah's Law |
Public opinion and media | |
Public opinion and media | Black Lives Matter |
Public opinion | Brexit referendum |
Pressure groups | Fathers for Justice |
Pressure groups | Stonewall |
Lobbying and special interests | Trade unions and business interests |
You do not need to force every example into every answer. A small number of accurately explained examples is much more useful than a long list.
Named Acts and the source boundary
OCR's specification states that learners should know some supported examples of Acts that influences have brought in or amended.
The Law Commission as an influence
OCR also includes the Law Commission within the influences on Parliament.
The Law Commission differs from ordinary public campaigns or lobbying because its influence is based on legal research and proposals for law reform.
Its membership, role and methods are studied in the next lesson, the Law Commission [The Law Commission], so you do not need to duplicate that detail here.
What depth does OCR require?
This is an important specification boundary.
For influences on Parliament, OCR does not require a detailed explanation of exactly how each influence works.
You should instead be able to:
identify each specified influence
explain its basic route of influence
distinguish one influence from another
use relevant supported examples
connect the influence to parliamentary law making
Later, you will move from explanation to AO3 analysis by considering advantages and disadvantages of influences [Evaluating influences on law making].
Key Words 🔑
Key word | Student-friendly definition | How it may be used in an exam |
Mandate | Democratic authority claimed by an elected government to pursue the policies on which it was elected. | Explain why government policy can be a powerful political influence on Parliament. |
Public opinion | The views expressed by members of the public about an issue. | Explain how public concern may create pressure for legal change. |
Media | Means through which issues, information and opinions are communicated to the public. | Explain how publicity can increase the political importance of an issue. |
Pressure group | An organised group that campaigns to influence political decisions or policy. | Explain how campaigning, research or expertise may affect law making. |
Lobbyist | A person or representative seeking to influence political decision-makers in favour of particular interests or arguments. | Distinguish lobbying from wider public opinion or pressure-group campaigning. |
Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡
Examiner hint: Explain rather than merely name an influence. Recent OCR reports repeatedly distinguish between developed knowledge and a "bald" statement. Writing "pressure groups influence Parliament" is not enough. Explain how, for example through campaigning, expertise or increasing the profile of an issue.
Examiner hint: Keep your knowledge selective. OCR examiners have warned against writing everything you know about a broad topic after spotting a keyword. Answer the influence actually asked about rather than reproducing the whole law-making topic.
Examiner hint: When influences were directly assessed in 2024, stronger candidates used varied examples and clearly understood the different influences. Learn a manageable set of accurate examples rather than inventing unfamiliar ones.
Examiner hint: Pay close attention to the command word. In the 2024 question asking candidates to discuss the advantages of influences, some students spent too much time describing the influences instead of evaluating them. Description is useful for AO1, but an AO3 question requires developed analysis.
Examiner hint: Do not confuse influences on Parliament with the parliamentary law-making process itself. The 2024 report specifically identified candidates who discussed the advantages of the legislative process rather than the advantages of influences on law making.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Describing the legislative stages instead of influences
Why this is incorrect: First Reading, Second Reading and the other parliamentary stages explain how a Bill progresses once it is in Parliament. They do not explain why a proposal for law reform gained political attention in the first place.
How to improve: Ask yourself, "Who or what is trying to affect Parliament?" If the answer is government policy, public opinion, the media, a pressure group or a lobbyist, you are addressing the correct topic.
Mistake: Treating public opinion and the media as exactly the same thing
Why this is incorrect: They are connected, but OCR lists them separately. Public opinion concerns people's views, while the media can communicate and amplify issues and opinions.
How to improve: Use a simple distinction: public opinion is the view, media is one route through which the issue gains attention.
Mistake: Saying that a pressure group can make law
Why this is incorrect: Pressure groups can influence decision-makers, but they do not enact Acts of Parliament.
How to improve: Use language such as "campaigns for", "raises awareness", "pressures Parliament" or "may contribute to legal change".
Mistake: Assuming that every campaign directly caused legislation
Why this is incorrect: An issue can be influenced by several political, social and legal factors. Simply identifying a campaign does not prove that it directly caused a particular Act.
How to improve: Only make a direct connection between an influence and legislation where you have a supported example.
Mistake: Giving too much detail about how influences operate
Why this is incorrect: OCR expressly limits this topic to an outline explanation of how influences work.
How to improve: Prioritise a clear definition, a short explanation of the route of influence and an accurate example.
Mistake: Confusing pressure groups with lobbyists
Why this is incorrect: They may overlap, but the ideas are not identical. A pressure group is an organised campaigning group, while lobbying describes attempts to persuade political decision-makers.
How to improve: Focus on the activity being described. Campaigning and raising public awareness point towards pressure-group influence, while direct attempts to persuade political decision-makers indicate lobbying.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
What is meant by a political mandate? [1]
Question 2
Identify two ways in which public opinion may be expressed so that it influences Parliament. [2]
Question 3
Explain how government policy can act as a political influence on Parliament. [4]
Question 4
Explain how the media can influence parliamentary law making. [4]
Question 5
Explain how pressure groups may influence Parliament. Use one supported example in your answer. [6]
Question 6
A campaign concerned with a proposed change in the law:
publishes specialist research
receives extensive media coverage
organises public demonstrations
has representatives who try to persuade MPs to support its proposals
Explain three different influences on Parliament illustrated by this scenario. [6]
Question 7
Explain the difference between the influence of a pressure group and the influence of a lobbyist. [4]
Question 8
Describe the main influences on Parliament identified by OCR. Support your answer with relevant examples. [8]
Answers and Indicative Mark Scheme
Question 1 [1]
One mark for explaining that a mandate is the democratic authority claimed by an elected government to pursue the policies on which it was elected.
Question 2 [2]
Award one mark for each valid method, up to two marks:
media coverage
protest or campaigning
a referendum
Question 3 [4]
Indicative content:
political parties develop policies
policies may appear in an election manifesto
an elected government can claim a mandate to pursue those policies
government policy can therefore lead to proposals being placed before Parliament
Award marks for developed explanation rather than a simple list.
Question 4 [4]
Indicative content:
media coverage can give prominence to an issue
this can increase public awareness
increased attention can create political pressure
politicians may respond by considering debate or legal reform
Do not require detailed knowledge of media organisations.
Question 5 [6]
Indicative content:
pressure groups organise campaigns around particular issues
they may provide specialist research or expertise
they can increase public and political awareness
their campaigning may increase pressure for legislative consideration
supported examples include Fathers for Justice or Stonewall
Higher marks require explanation of how the pressure group's activity may affect Parliament, not merely naming a group.
Question 6 [6]
Possible answers include:
Pressure-group influence: the organised campaign and specialist research may provide expertise and promote the issue.
Media influence: extensive coverage can increase awareness and political attention.
Public opinion: demonstrations communicate public concern and can increase political pressure.
Lobbying: representatives attempting to persuade MPs are engaging in lobbying.
Award up to two marks for each of three accurately identified and explained influences.
Question 7 [4]
Indicative answer:
A pressure group is an organised group campaigning around a particular issue and may influence Parliament through public campaigning, research or expertise. Lobbying concerns attempts to persuade political decision-makers to support particular interests or proposals. The two may overlap because a pressure group may also engage in lobbying.
Question 8 [8]
A strong answer should explain a range of the following:
political influence, particularly government policy, manifestos and a democratic mandate
public opinion, including expression through campaigns, protest or referendum
media influence through increasing publicity and awareness
pressure groups through campaigning, research and expertise
lobbyists and special interest groups attempting to influence political decision-makers
recognition that the Law Commission is also an influence, with its detailed role studied separately
Relevant supported examples may include Sarah's Law, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, Brexit, Fathers for Justice and Stonewall.
For the highest marks, explanations should be accurate and developed, with examples used to illustrate rather than replace the explanation.
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