Voting behaviour and the media Flashcards
which voting factor has traditionally been used to explain voting behaviour in the UK?
-Social class.
what tries to explain the decline in the tradition of Social class deciding voting behaviour?
-class dealignment where individuals no longer identify themselves with a certain class.
what name is given to voters who loyally support one of the two main parties?
-core voter
what tries to explain the decline in core voters?
-partisan dealignment, the process where individuals no longer identify with a single party.
what six factors effect voting behaviour?
-age
-ethnicity
-region
-social class
-core voters
-gender
what is valence voting?
-where voters make their decisions based on the party they think will run the country effectively especially in relation to economy.
what is rational choice voting?
-people vote based on what they consider to be in their own interests and what they would gain from the country.
what is issue voting?
-only take in to account one issue which means a big deal to them.
what are the key factors that affect individual voting?
-image and reputation
-leader
-party performance
-key issues presented
-manifestos
-tactical voting
what is apathy?
-process of disengagement from politics and political activity.
what is social class?
-the way in which social researchers classify people on the basis of their occupation and to some extent their income.
what are the different classifications for social class?
-AB, higher and intermediate managerial, administrative, professional occupation. Banker, doctor etc.
-C1, supervisory, clerical and junior managerial, administrative, professional occupation. Teacher, office manager etc.
-c2, skilled manual occupations. Plumber, hairdresser etc.
-DE, semi skilled and unskilled manual occupations. Labourer, bar staff etc.
example of social class used to being the voting indicator?
-1979 80% of people voted the way their social class indicated.
what social classes vote what way?
-AB voters favoured the Conservatives
-DE voters favoured Labour
-C1 class was typically but not overwhelmingly CON
-C2 was mostly Labour
evidence of recent decline of Social class voting?
-2019 39% of DE voted for Labour, compared to 64% in 1964.
-2019 45% of AB voted for CON, compared to 78% in 1964.
why has social class voting declined?
-con support among the working class was understood to be the result of deference, where some members of the class ‘defer’ to those whom they considered their superiors.
-some lower-middle and working class voters aspired to be middle class and so voted Con.
-the switch of AB can be seen as potentially new labours achievement in attracting middle-class support
-class dealignment
-other reasoning behind voting.
what role does gender play in voting?
-parties have used specific strategies to target women.
-but gap in party voting is usually quite small.
-since 1997 more women are likely to vote Labour.
-this gender divide can be due to different prioritised issues.
-but too large of a social group to make effective explanations for electoral results or voting.
what role does education play in voting?
-major dividing line in UK politics.
-until 1960s those more educated were likely to vote CON.
-now evidence seems to suggest that education has a ‘liberalising’ effect, for example in 2017 47% of people who held a degree were likely to vote Labour or Liberal democrat while 36% Con.
what role does age play in voting?
-more likely to become pro-conservative as they got older
-since 1997 appears to be the main dividing line replacing class.
-2017 67% of 18-24 voters voted Lab, 18% Con
-2017 59% of 65+ voters voted con, 23% Lab.
why do people vote based on age?
-younger people tend to be more progressive and less conservative.
-as people age there is a tendency to focus more on rational, self-interested issues rather than wider issues.
-younger people have fewer responsibilities whereas later in life you develop a family career etc which lead to cautious views.
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how does ethnicity effect voting?
-Con have reputation of supporters and party opposing immigration and equal rights while Labour have passed major anti discrimination legislation.
-2017 BAME voted 65% Lab and 21% Con.
how does region effect voting?
-due to uneven distribution of wealth income prosperity
-south of England is very solidly Con.
-Labour dominates in London
-Labour leads in the north of England
what effects turnout?
-how important the election may be and how close the outcome is forecasted to be.
how does age effect the turnout?
-younger votes are more reluctant to turn out and vote than older generations.
-for example 2019, 47% of 18-24 voted
-2019 74% of 65+ voted.
-this means that it benefits CON as younger voters tend to vote more for labour.
