DEMOCRACY - factors which influence voting behaviours

Question 1

social class
PEE

Answer 1

• traditional social class groupings help to suggest there are patterns in UK politics votes
• individualist v collectivist
• conservatives drive ‘high wage, low tax’ > individualist
• labour drives ‘highest tax rates , highest earners’ > collectivist
  EG - in 2019 general election 42% of AB and C1 voters voted conservative compared to 33% who voted for labour.

Question 2

social class
REE

Answer 2

• collectivism and individualism cannot be applied as easily in a society dominated by golbalisation and multiculturalism.
• Ivor Crewe theories in 1970s of dealignment
• changes in working patterns has challenged the traditional understanding of social class and driven an increase in the middle class
• shift away from heavy industries > less individuals identifying with labour party.
  EG - 48% of C2DE voters voted conservative compared to 33% who voted labour

Question 3

age
PEE

Answer 3

• the older someone gets the more likely they are to vote conservative
• due to increased wealth, focus on home ownership and strength of pensions
• younger voters are more likely to vote left
• age has taken over class
• most polarising and influential predictor of voting behaviour
  EG - the overall voting trends can be further shown by the fact that for every 10 years older a person becomes, they are 9 points more likely to vote conservative

Question 4

age
REE

Answer 4

• its actually the vote that is a major factor in voting behaviour
• younger voters were the most likely group to not vote
• disadvantage for the labour party
• recent trends show younger voters have been voting more
• 2019 voter turn out for 18-24 year olds being the highest since 1922.
  EG - the voter turnout of 18-24 year olds increased from 57% in 2017 to 63% in 2019

Question 5

media
PEE

Answer 5

• newspapers have historically been a key source of influence
• openly show bias
• ‘its the sun wot won it’ headline in 1992 where the sun claimed it had been the decisive factor in the conservative party win
• effective on convincing swing voters
  EG - in the run up to the BREXIT referendum , the daily mail and daily express devoted over 3/4 of their front page headlines to pro BREXIT stories

Question 6

media
REE

Answer 6

• newspapers have only linked to be able to influence floating voters
• no real evidence it convinces core voters to change
• most people only read newspapers that support their own political agenda
• doesn’t change voting perspective
• tend to be red for more social reasons than political knowledge
  EG > overall number of newspapers sales fell below 3 million in 2022 compared to over 10 million in 2005