1- Voting Behaviour And The Media Flashcards
Social/demographic long term factors
-age/generations
-social class/wealth
-job
-geographical region
-education
-gender
Political/rational short term
-media consumed
-echochamber- same type of news
-public image+ trust
-esp leaders
-past history
-major issues
Accountability
-politicians held to statements they have made or policies they have promised to the public or media
-helps to ensure politicians are honest
-eg. Partygae scandal involving boris johnson
pm held to account for breaking the covid lockdown rules he’d imposed
Coalition gov
-two or more parties work together in order to form a majority- therefore preventing a hung parliament
-Conservative-Liberal Democrats 2010-2015 under David Cameron and Nick Clegg
Constituency
-area of the country which holds one seat in parliment
-each constituency has one mp
-in uk 650 consttuences
-eg. Huntingdon- mp jonathon djanogly
Hung parliament
-party in power does not have a majority in parliament
-has less than 326MPs and doesnt form a coalition
-a hung parliamnt can lead to a minority gov being in control such as Theresa May’s gov in 2017 in which the conservatibes held 330 seats
Majority gov
-the winning party holds over half the majority of seats in parliament- 326 mps
-eg. Conservatives in 2019 had a majority of 80mps
-enables legislation to be passed more easily
Minority gov
-winning party has less than 326 mps
-resulting in hung parliament or a ‘confidence and supply’ agreement eg. Theresa may 2017-2019 who had c&a with DUPs
Mandate
-public gives permission for a party to govern thorugh that party winning an election
-gives gov right to itroduce policies stated in the manifesto as well as on issues that could not have been forseen or predictd when the manifesto was produced
eg. Covid lockdown rules not in manifesto but passed as had the mandate
Manifesto
-list of policies that a leadder or party had which they ‘promise’ to pass or try to pass if voted into power
-published before an election in order to clearly outline hwat an MP or party want to achieve and what they stand for.
-eg. In conservative’s 2019 manifesto- leave the eu in january, increase number of nurses in nhs to 50,000
Participation
-engagement of the public in the political process
-eg. Right to vote
-political participation levels can be measured by the number who vote in general elections
eg. In 2017 greater participation than in 2019 as 1.5% more of the popuation voted in 2019
Proportional representation
-electoral system in which the amount of seats awarded to a party is proportional to the number of votes cast for that party
-constituencies are irrelevant
-allow for smaller extremist parties to gain more power as more easy, eg NAZIs in Germany in the early 1930s- germany still uses PR
First-past-the-post
-uk system
-elect mps based on them winning the most votes within their respective constituencies
Representation
-role of MPs
-represent the views of their constituency
-eg. Central Devon- one of the most rural constuencies and so would want their MP to represnet views which reflect the wants of farmers for example
Social class turnout rates
2010
76% AB
57% DE
EXAMPLES of class less significant
1979- Margret Thatcher after ‘winter discontent’
Gained an additional
11% C2 voters 9% DE
2019 manual and non-manual labourers support labour both stoood at 30-35%
Stat for voters in north have strong preference for labour party
20017
53% labour
37% comservatiev
Why did conservatives win female vote 1979
-thatcher 1st female leader/candidate to become PM
-argued that high inflation under labour had damaged family finances
-fears that militant trade unionism was damaging the fabric of society
Why have female vote for conservatives diminished more recently
-labour greater focus on NHS and social carE
-Conservative party’s link to euroskepticism(men more likely to be- more vote brexit) and emphasis strong national defence
Why younger more likely to vote labour 2017
-‘for the. Many not he few’
Abolish tuition fees
Social justice and environment
Evidence of lack of influence of media
2017
Tabloids attacked corbyn but Labour still increased share of vote- increase seats by 30 from 2015
Class A
Upper middle class
Professional/higher managerial role
class b
Middle class
Professional—need degree
C1
Lower middle class
Skilled workers
