Voting Behaviour And The Media Flashcards

1
Q

How many people read newspapers daily?

A

7 Million

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2
Q

Which party had majority press support in the last 4 elections?

A

The Conservatives

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3
Q

What was the Daily Mail’s circulation is 2022 vs. 2012?

A

909,000 vs. 1.8 Million (halved)

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4
Q

What % of the public said the press influenced them more than Social Media?

A

32%

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5
Q

What % of the public said social media influenced them more than the press?

A

26%

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6
Q

Which party did the top 2 most read newspapers back in the last 3 elections?

A

Conservatives

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7
Q

Where did the Tories party launch their 2019 Manifesto

A

In the Telegraph

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8
Q

Famous quote after 1992 election

A

‘It’s the sun wot won it’

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9
Q

What % of Sun readers voted Labour despite the Sun being pro-Tory?

A

30%

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10
Q

What % of FT readers voted Labour in 2017 despite the FT backing the Tories?

A

39%

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11
Q

Example of negative press on party leader not impacting election?

A
  • Corbyn had very negative press in run up to 2017 election
  • won largest increase in vote share since Attlee’s Labour
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12
Q

Example of influence of TV debates (Corbyn)

A
  • Made Corbyn appear ‘scruffy’
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13
Q

Example of influence of TV debates (Clegg)

A
  • Very successful in pre-2010 election TV debates
  • contributed to ‘Cleggmania’
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14
Q

Example of impact of TV Debates (May)

A
  • Theresa May refused to take part in pre-2017 election head to head TV debates
  • Appeared weak
    Contributed to unpopularity
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15
Q

Which issues did Newsnight expose?

A
  • Labour antisemitism
  • How COVID was transmitted to care homes
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16
Q

Example of radio interviews leading to accountability (Truss)

A
  • Disastrous radio interviews exposed failure of mini-budget
  • contributed to eventual resignation
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17
Q

What % of people said TV was the strongest influence in helping form opinion in 2015?

A

62%

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18
Q

Clegg, Opinion polls, 2010

A
  • In the run up to the election, Clegg was boosted in the polls by TV debates
  • only temporary
  • voters swung back to 2 main parties
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19
Q

How much did The Conservatives spend per month on social media in 2015 election?

A

£100,000

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20
Q

Examples of strongly partisan social media sites

A
  • the Canary (Left wing, can be antisemitic)
  • The Spectator (Right wing)
    Recently these have gained significant traction
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21
Q

What % of 18-24 voters relied almost totally on online sources to inform themselves?

A

79%

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22
Q

What % of young voters relied on SM to discover other people’s opinions?

A

59%

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23
Q

Examples of scandals going viral

A
  • Rees Mogg’s comments on Grenfell
  • Boy sleeping on floor of hospital with pneumonia
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24
Q

How much did Labour spend on facebook advertising in the 2019 election?

A

£1.4 million

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25
Q

Examples of opinion polls being wrong

A
  • 1992 - even exit polls predicted a hung parliament
  • 2015
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26
Q

Examples of opinion polls being accurate

A

2019

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27
Q

Examples of high turnout following close opinion polls

A
  • 2015 election
  • Brexit Referendum
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28
Q

Example of election seeming decided so people don’t vote maybe

A
  • 2017
  • Corbyn gained greatly from this
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29
Q

Examples of opinion polls encouraging tactical voting

A
  • 2015
  • Lib Dem voters tactically voted Con to stop Labour
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30
Q

Examples of opinion polls shaping public policy

A
  • suggested significant anti-trans rights sentiments in UK
  • Key candidates for 2022 Tory leadership reflected this view
31
Q

Example of refusing an interview

A
  • 2019
  • Johnson refused to be interviewed by Andrew Neill
32
Q

Example of media exposing scandal

A

Partygate

33
Q

Example of government controlling news agenda

A

Alistair Campbell (Blair gov) called a ‘spin doctor’

34
Q

Example of media acting out of own interest

A

The Sun switched from Conservatives to Labour in 1997 and back to Con in 2010 in line with what would benefit Murdoch’s business

35
Q

Up until when was VB strongly influenced by class?

A

Late 1970s

36
Q

Examples of class dealignment

A
  • Thatcher won 3 consecutive elections by attracting the working class vote
  • Blair won 3 consecutive elections by attracting the middle class vote
37
Q

Outline reasons for class dealignment

A
  • Increased affluence
  • Decreased influence of blue-collar industries
  • less pronounced class differences
  • Parties actively tried to change policy to attract all classes
38
Q

When was there the strongest partisan affiliation?

A

Post WW2, pre-Thatcher

39
Q

Outline outcome of partisan dealignment

A
  • Increased number of swing voters
  • Increased number of people voting for minor parties
  • Weaker sense of party affiliation
40
Q

Example of partisan dealignment

A
  • Red Wall being broken in 2019
  • Shows voting based on salient issues instead of
41
Q

Example that some partisan alignment remains?

A
  • Liverpool remains a Labour stronghold, with constituencies getting over 70% Labour support
42
Q

How many 18-29 year olds voted Conservative in 2019?

A

22%

43
Q

How many over-60s voted Conservative in 2019?

A

Over 60%

44
Q

How much higher was turnout for over 60s compared to 18-24 in 2017

A

25 percentage points

45
Q

Example that age may not continue to be important

A

Recent research by the FT shows millennials aren’t getting more conservative with age

46
Q

Examples of region not being important

A
  • In 2010, SNP broke Labour’s stronghold of Scotland
  • IN 2019, the Red Wall broke - majorities of over 20,000 were flipped (however labour looks likely to regain the seats so may be anomalous)
47
Q

Example of class decreasing in importance

A
  • In 1964, 78% of AB voted Conservative
  • In 2019, 42% of AB voted Conservative
48
Q

What % of Degree or higher voted Conservative vs. Labour

A
  • 29% voted Conservative
  • 43% voted Labour
49
Q

What % of people with no qualifications supported Brexit?

A

75%

50
Q

What % of BME voters voted Labour

A

64%

51
Q

Are the Conservatives more popular with young men or women?

A

Young men

52
Q

Example of issue-based voting

A

74% of leave voters voted for the Tories in 2019

53
Q

Example of Valence factors influencing voting

A
  • In 2010, the most salient issue was the economy
  • 28% thought the Cons could handle it best, 36% neither and 26% Labour
54
Q

Why has ‘presidentialisation’ occurred?

A
  • Increased media focus on leaders
55
Q

Example of Tories losing reputation for economic competency

A
  • Black Wednesday 1992
56
Q

What fraction of voters don’t read manifestos?

A

2/3

57
Q

What was the turnout and outcome of the 1979 election?

A
  • 76% turnout
  • 43 seat majority, Cons won 43.6% of the vote
58
Q

Describe the social, economic and political context of 1979

A
  • Winter of Discontent - mass strikes, national paralysis, Labour seen as incompetent
  • ‘Labour isn’t working’
  • Election triggered by nationalist parties withdrawing support after failed devolution referendums
  • Cons dominated upper & middle class and made gains in working class
  • ‘Essex man’ strategy - policies that appealed to working class eg. right to buy, support of small businesses
59
Q

Outline Conservative manifesto 1979

A
  • tax cuts
  • right to buy
  • privatisation
  • curb trade union power
  • moved away from post-war consensus
60
Q

Key factors affecting VB in 1979

A
  • Salient issues (Winter of discontent)
  • Media (strongly favoured cons)
  • Valence issues (Labour seen as incompetent)
61
Q

Turnout and result of 1997 election

A
  • 71.4% turnout
  • 179 seat majority, 43.2% of vote
  • Cons had worst election since 1832
62
Q

Was class important in 1997?

A
  • Not as much
  • Labour made gains in middle class and didn’t lose working class vote as a result
  • Labour policy shifted to centre to appeal to middle class
63
Q

Examples of issue-voting in 1997

A
  • Blair was ‘tough on crime’ - appealed to voters following high crime of early 90s
  • Specific policy details - smaller primary school class sizes, cut hospital waiting times
  • Constitutional reform allowed Labour to attract Lib Dem voters to win key swing states (arguably contributed up to 30 seats)
  • Abandoned trad Lab image of tax and nationalisation
64
Q

Example of leadership importance in 1997

A
  • Blair was very popular
  • seen as strong, popular and charismatic
  • Major seen as weak, boring, leading a divided party tainted by sleaze
65
Q

Competence in 1997

A
  • Conservatives seen as economically incompetent after Black Wednesday
  • Lab ahead in the polls since Black Wednesday
  • Lab seen as competent, pledging not to raise tax
66
Q

Media in 1997

A
  • ‘The Sun backs Blair’
  • Labour endorsed by media
67
Q

Key factors influencing 1997

A
  • Lab able to win middle class
  • ruined reputation of Cons
  • Leadership
  • Media
68
Q

Outcome of 2010 election

A
  • 65.1% turnout
  • Coalition majority of 77
  • Cons won 36.1% of vote, 306 seats
  • LD won 23% of vote, 57 seats
69
Q

Campaign and TV debates in 2010 election

A
  • Brown’s ‘bigoted woman’ comment (jumped on by media)
  • Labour already behind in polls so maybe not that important
  • TV debates - Brown appeared wooden (‘I agree with Nick’), Clegg boosted in polls after success but this dropped off by election
70
Q

Issue voting

A
  • Conservatives focused on Labours economic incompetence after financial crash of 2008
71
Q

What %of people thought that most of the extra money spent by Lab was wasted?

A

59%

72
Q

Perceived competence in 2010

A
  • 33% viewed Cameron as most competent
  • 29% viewed Brown as most competent
73
Q

Importance of policy in 2010

A

-Little difference between 3 main parties
- Agreed on need to reduce budget deficit

74
Q

Key factors influencing 2010 election

A
  • Wider economic context (2008 financial crash dominated election)
  • Leadership
  • Sort of the campaign (further weakened Labour)