Elections And Refendums Flashcards

Question

What are the disadvantages of electoral reform brought to the UK?

Answer 1

-minority and coalition govs (argued that this leads to unstable govs) -has not increased turnout (2021 turnout in Scottish Parliament elections is 63.5%) -more rejected ballots (more ballots rejected as they are completed incorrectly —> 0.2% rejected under FPTP and 1% under AMS

Answer 2

-the Labour Party called their support for the idea when they began winning general elections in 1997 -little public appetite for reform (68% voted ‘NO’ in the 2011 AV referendum)

Answer 3

-genuine democracy (govs may have questionable mandate because of low participation, decisively provides the gov with a mandate on a single political issue) -settles divisive issues (issues the divide govs and nations e.g 1999 Good Friday Agreement Referendum which gave the UK mandate to implement the Good Friday Agreement -entrenches constitutional reforms (devolution elections) -encourages political participation (2014 Scottish Independence 85% turnout + 2016 referendum 75%) -the electoral commission: ensures referendums are conducted fairly

Answer 4

-poor turnout (AV 2011 41%) -failure to settle controversial issues (2014 Scottish independence referendum didn’t settle the matter) -referendums over simplify complex debates -gov manipulate timing and the questions in referendums -voter manipulation (2011 AV referendum used to punish Nick Clegg) -political decisions should be left to elected representatives -referendums are extremely expensive -sides in referendums are extremely expensive

Answer 5

-focuses on long term factors (social characteristics) that are the main influence on how individuals vote

Answer 6

-focuses on the long-term factors -sees voters as psychologically attached to a particular party -identifying with them and supporting them in spite of any short-term factors

Answer 7

-focus on short term models -the spatial model holds that voters will support the candidate who shares their position divisive/ salient political questions -the valance model assumes that voters nausea their vote on which party appears the most capable -they consider the party’s leader, reputation, branding and the media coverage

Answer 8

-region -class -gender -age -ethnicity

Answer 9

-key issues/ policies/ manifestos -performance in office -leaders -image -media coverage

Answer 10

-recently we have been class realignment -2017 general election saw a weak correlation in class

Answer 11

-post industrial society: recently economy has undergone a transition from an industrial to a post-industrial economy, distrusted the stable alignment that traditional working class areas had with labour -social mobility: recently economy has decades have seen a process of embourgeoisement (people are becoming more middle class) -centrist party policy: new parties have adopted centrist policies (new labour) + number of floating voters increasing

Answer 12

-the ‘female’ vote: both labour and conservatives have attempted to increase the number of female MPs (all women list) -historically: conservatives were more likely to have female support (housewives) and Labour were more likely to enjoy support from men (more likely to be unionised) + recently has been as reverse in the trend -gender switch caused by the fact that some are more likely to be employed

Answer 13

-younger voters more likely to vote Labour (more likely to favour equal distribution of wealth and liberal policies) -older voters: more likely to vote conservative (rich more sceptical in creating an equal society)

Answer 14

56% 21% were conservative

Answer 15

-Ethnic minority voters (strongly aligned with labour: 82% of black voters voted Labour in 1997) -labour has a history of supporting and advancing the rights of ethnic minorities (conservatives have long been associated with anti-immigrant sentiment)

Answer 16

-North/South divide (labour support stronger in the north, conservative support stronger in the south) -urban areas more likely to vote labour -Wales: traditional labour stronghold (currently led by Vaughan Gething) -Scotland: traditional labour stronghold, but has been dominated by the SNP since 2015

Answer 17

-conservative win under Johnson -age was the clearest factor with 56% of 18-24 voting Labour and 67% of 70+ voting Conservatives -class realignment with C2DE now voting Conservatives -education also strong with educated voting Labour

Answer 18

2015: 11 seats changes 2019: 79 seats changes 2024:

Answer 19

-emphasises the importance of regency factors -argues that voters evaluate the options and make a conscious choice based on a range of factors

Answer 20

-holds that voters will support the candidate who shares their position on divisive political questions -consider issues, manifesto and policies

Answer 21

-assumes that voters base their vote on which party appear more capable

Answer 22

-voters who decide how to vote by identifying which parties policies are most aligned with their views

Answer 23

-conservatives pledged to get Brexit done -Labour promised a second referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU -LibDems pledged to revoke Article 50

Answer 24

-Clegg was an electoral liability because of his support for raising tuition fess while in coalition with the conservatives -Miliband was portrayed as dangerous, left-wing and geeky

Answer 25

-May was criticised for her dull and uninspiring campaign (‘Maybot’ decided not to participate in a leadership debate) -Corbyn credited with energising young voters with rallies and down to earth persona + outsider status may have cost Labour votes in centre ground

Answer 26

-Johnson’s eccentric persona was credited with winning votes -Corbyn’s reputation was damaged with accusations of being anti-British, anti-Semitic and sympathetic to IRA terrorists

Answer 27

-most newspapers (owned by wealthy individuals e.g Rupert Murdoch) backs the conservatives -Labou only receives consistent support from the Guardian and Mirror -recently newspaper readership has declined 1992: ‘It was the sun wot won it’ 1997: ‘The sun backs Blair’

Answer 28

2017: Labour’s credibility over public finance was called into question when Dianne Abby gave a muddled interview on LBC radio

Answer 29

-news broadcasts and political party broadcast (can’t be bought) -all news broadcasters are bound to law to be politically neutral -BBC accused of having bias: 2019, Johnson avoided the scrutiny faced by every party in the Andrew Neil interviews

Answer 30

-media often declare winners and losers

Answer 31

-parties use of social media unregulated -conservatives + labour have party political broadcasts shared on social media

Answer 32

-polls encourage the bandwagon effect (undecided voters vote for the party which is predicted to win)

Answer 33

-the argument that the media directly determines voting behaviour -1992: ‘it’s the sun wot won it’ + influence of Murdoch

Answer 34

-media influence where issues become salient through their coverage -media tends to focus on the economy -there was a strong focus on Brexit

Answer 35

-media presents leaders and issues in such a way as to influence voters choices -2019: portrayal of Corbyn as anti-British and dangerously left-wing

Answer 36

-after winning narrowly in 1974 the Labour gov (led by Callaghan) lost its majority +vote was triggered by a vote of no confidence -election took place in the aftermath of the winter of discontent -Callaghan’s government accused of being hijacked by the far-left -Thatchers conservatives were influenced by the ideology of the New Right

Answer 37

-conservatives had been in power for 18yrs -Major conservatives had been rocked by a deep recession, bitter infighting regarding the EU (Maastricht Treaty) and sleaze scandals -Blair recognised the traditional working class was in decline and adopted 3rd way Labour centrist politics that were designed to appeal to middle class voters -Clause IV was amended

Answer 38

-Conservatives had been in power since 2010 -since 2016, there had been a deadlock over the issue of Brexit -Johnson had become PM in July 2019 but was unable to build any unity within his own party, let alone parliament to get the deal passed

Answer 39

-economy was in a poor state, high inflation, growing unemployment and falling growth -Thatcher was the first female leader of a major party -key issue was the power of trade unions -Winter of Discontent had caused serious disruptions

Answer 40

-economy had suffered a depression and recession -public services appeared to be in decline -conservatives were deeply divided regarding Britain’s membership of the EU -sleaze scandals like the David Mellor affair

Answer 41

-salient issue was Brexit -Brexit was divisive -other issues like the economy, NHS and education

Answer 42

Labour: -promised to control union -follow a more moderate economic policy -rejected more radical socialist policies favoured by the left wing of the party Conservatives: -proposed a right to buy scheme for council tenants -tax cuts -curtail the power of trade unions -boost the economy and employment by swapping to free market economics

Answer 43

Conservatives: -pledged to continue with its economic policies which were leading Britain to an economic recovery following the recession in the early 1990s -opposed devolution (argued it would lead to the breakup of Britain) Labour: -proposed smaller class sizes -fast track punishment for young offenders -cut NHS waiting lists -put 250,000 unemployed 25 year olds to work -income tax freeze -devolution -promised fiscal responsibility

Answer 44

Conservatives: -get Brexit done -voter for the conservatives was a vote for Boris Johnson Brexit deal -pledged no rises to income tax -50,000 new nurses -Net Zero by 2050 Labour: -renegotiated Brexit deal followed by a second referendum -pledged massive investment in the public sector -£10/hr minimum wage -end charitable status of private schools -nationalise key industries LibDems: -revoke Article 50 SNP: -promised IndyRef2

Answer 45

-first modern general election (mass media playing prominent role) -media focuses heavily on the leaders creating a presidential campaign -Sun switched support from Labour to Conservatives -Sun accused Callaghan of being out of touch with it Crisis

Answer 46

-following a meeting between Blair and Murdoch the Sun switched support to Labour Party (leading public opinion?) -62% of the papers were Pro-Labour -New Labour has a proactive approach to media ‘spin doctors’ managed interactions with the media -Campaign was presidential (media attention focused heavily on Major and Blair) -media coverage of ‘sleaze’ scandals tarnished the conservative reputation

Answer 47

-print media took sides along typical lines -both conservatives and labour spent money on youtube + facebook adverts -Conservatives ‘love actually’ party election broadcast (on TV, youtube and shared widely on social media) -higher volumes of engagement with content from Corbyn rather than Johnson -conservatives and labour worked together to exclude other parties from a leaders debate on ITV -Johnson decline to participate in other leaders debates’ (only major party to decline an invitation to be interviewed)

Answer 48

-decisive victory of conservatives with a majority of 43 -C2 voters were won over by the conservatives policies of right to buy -conservatives benefit from the mood change following the Winter of Discontent -marked the beginning of the Thatcher-era and 18yrs Conservative rule

Answer 49

-landslides victory for Labour -campaign appeared to have little impact on results (seemed to have been determined by the recession for the early 1990s) -Conservative gov blamed for recession -labour stayed in power for the next 13yrs

Answer 50

-decisive victory for conservatives (80 seat majoirty) -Corbyn resigned in the wake of his death + replacement by Starmer brought Labour back to centre -LibDems won 11 seats (Swinson lost her seat) -SNP dominated in Scotland (won 48/59)

Answer 51

-all areas were swung by conservative dominated by ABC1 vote -conservatives won in every age group except 18-24

Answer 52

-labour made significant gains overall -conservatives were wiped out in Scotland, Wales and London -Labour dominated all age groups except 65+ -labour won the white vote and recieved support from BME voters

Answer 53

-conservatives omitted rural England and has significant success in red wall seats -conservatives dominated across all social classes -men were slightly more likely to vote conservative than women -at 39 people became more likely to vote conservative -labour performed best amongst young and BAME voters

Answer 54

-Thatchers majority allowed her to begin transforming Britain -privatised public industries + reduced union strikes -Thatchers policies became bolder when she won a landslide in 1983

Answer 55

Blair’s huge majoirty called him to implement wide range of policies: -devolution -removal of hereditary peers in Lords -passing of 1998 HRA -Freedom of Information Act 2000 -introduction of minimum wage -increase spending on schools, NHS and other public services

Answer 56

-80 seat majority gave Johnson a mandate to proceed with Brexit deal -UK left EU on 31st Jan 2020 -political landscape was changed in 2020 because of covid-19

Elections And Refendums Flashcards

(80 cards)