The big idea: An NGO is a group that is not part of any government and does not exist to make profit. NGOs are the organised part of civil society.
Between governments and businesses sit thousands of groups run by ordinary people for a cause — charities, campaign groups and community organisations. Together they are called civil society, and the organised ones are NGOs.
- Amnesty International — campaigns for human rights.
- Greenpeace — campaigns on the environment.
- Oxfam and the Red Cross — fight poverty and provide humanitarian aid.
Influence, not authority: An NGO is a non-state actor. It cannot pass a law, sign a treaty or raise an army. Its power is influence — changing what governments, companies and the public feel able to do.
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How does a group with no legal power change what powerful states do? By exposing facts and building pressure. Amnesty International is a clear example.
Case study — Amnesty International: Amnesty researches human-rights abuses, publishes detailed reports, and asks millions of members to write letters and sign petitions. This is called naming and shaming.
A government that is named for abuses faces bad headlines and pressure from other states. Amnesty makes no law — but it can make a government pay a reputation cost until it changes.
The key point: NGOs turn information and public opinion into pressure. Their strongest weapon is moral authority — people believe them, so governments cannot easily ignore them.
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So how much power do NGOs really have? Weigh their strengths against their limits.
Link it up: NGOs have influence but not authority. Compare them with states (which have sovereignty) and IGOs (made of states). In an answer, show how an NGO shapes an issue without being able to force anyone.
How NGOs come up in Paper 1: A Paper 1 source might show an NGO like Amnesty or Greenpeace campaigning on an issue. To answer well, remember what NGOs run on: they have no state power, so they work through research, publicity and pressure rather than force.
With reference to a source and one example you have studied, explain how an NGO can influence politics without making law.
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Easy marks to lose: 1. Confusing NGOs with IGOs. An NGO's members are not governments.
2. Saying NGOs 'make law'. They influence; they cannot force.
3. No real example. Use Amnesty, Greenpeace or Oxfam.
4. Ignoring the limits. Weigh their influence against being ignored or banned.