Factors affecting individual voting

Question 1

List the 6 primary factors that affect voting choice

Answer 1

• Policies presented in party manifestos
• Key issues presented during the campaign
• How parties performed in office
• The leader and whether they are suitable to be PM
• The image and reputation of the party
• Tactical voting to block an unpopular party

Question 2

What are manifestos?

Answer 2

A list of policies set out by a party to try and appeal to voters

Question 3

What has happened to manifestos since 1945?

Answer 3

They have become more specific and detailed

Question 4

What is the intention behind specific manifesto pledges?

Answer 4

To give the electorate a clear set of issues and policies that the government would be committed to pursuing

Question 5

What do manifestos try to convince voters of?

Answer 5

That it is in their rational interest to vote for the party, as issues they care about would be pursued if the party got into government

Question 6

What is the benefit to a party acting upon manifesto promises?

Answer 6

The party can claim to deliver what they promised, and therefore appeal to valence voting

Question 7

What is a mandate?

Answer 7

The idea that the successful party following an election claims it has the authority to implement its manifesto promises and also a general permission to govern as new issues arise

Question 8

Explain how the doctrine of the political mandate operates

Answer 8

When a party wins an election, it has a mandate to carry out all the policy proposals in its manifesto

Question 9

Why is the mandate doctrine important?

Answer 9

• Electors know which policies they are consenting to
• It strengthens the government’s position and enhances democratic legitimacy
• Allows parliament a means of holding the government to account.
• Gives electors the chance to judge the performance of government at election time
• All party MPs will be bound in by the manifesto. This allows party leaders to encourage party discipline

Question 10

List the problems with the mandate doctrine

Answer 10

• It depends upon the formation of a majority government
• Voters will not necessarily agree with all the manifesto commitments of the party for which they voted, while the doctrine assumes consent for the entire manifesto
• Circumstances may change to such an extent that the ruling party has to abandon or alter its policy proposals after it has come to power
• Some manifesto commitments are vague and open to interpretation. This makes it more difficult to call the government out on the basis of its manifesto

Question 11

What kind of qualities do the public usually see as important in a leader?

Answer 11

• Record in office
• Compassion
• Decisiveness
• Honesty and sincerity
• Strong leadership
• Clear vision
• Communication skills

Question 12

How does the 1979 election dispute the idea that leadership is important in electoral outcomes?

Answer 12

Because despite leading Thatcher by 20 points in the opinion polls, his party would still lose the general election to hers

Question 13

When is tactical voting undertaken?

Answer 13

Under special circumstances in specific constituencies

Question 14

How many constituencies were affected by tactical voting in 2015 according to John Curtice?

Answer 14

77