Chapter 4 - Voting trends and theories (NOT FINAL) Flashcards
What are core voters?
Those voters who stick to the same party consistently.
What were the reasons for the decline of two-party dominance up to 2017?
- Both parties sought to capture the ‘centre ground’ and so voters saw little difference between them.
- The emergence of small parties.
- Partisan-dealignment.
What is partisan dealignment?
When voters that used to voter only for one party detach themselves from it.
What percentage of the vote went to the two main parties in 2010?
65%
What percentage of the vote went to the two main parties in 2017?
82%
What is valence?
The impression and image of a party and how well people think they can handle issues.
How did political analyst Peter Kellner describe valence voters?
“They judge parties…not on their manifestos but on their character.”
What is positional voting?
When voters choose a party based on its position on one or a group of issues.
What is economic voting?
When people make their decisions based on which party is likely to manage the economy well.
How do economic voters view the Labour Party?
To blame for the 2008 financial crisis.
What sort of party has no chance of winning a general election?
A disunited party.
Which recent leader suffered from negative valence and party disunity?
Jeremy Corbyn
Which recent party leader was seen as weak?
Ed Miliband
What are the four general valence issues?
- How generally competent are they?
- How economically competent are they?
- How united are they?
- Do they have a strong leader?
What is the rational choice model of voting?
When voters are not committed to one party or another and vote based on their own judgement of which is best at the time.
