Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Politics > Voting Behaviour And The Media Quick > Flashcards

Voting Behaviour And The Media Quick Flashcards

(69 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is Scotland’s voting preference?

A

Left-wing, traditionally Labour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is Wales’ voting preference?

A

A heavy Labour bias, but with strong levels of support from the Conservatives in more rural areas.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is Northern Ireland’s voting preference?

A

Has its own party system, with a split between unionist and nationalist parties.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is London’s voting preference?

A

Majority Labour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is Rural England’s voting preference?

A

Overwhelmingly conservative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is Industrial Northern England’s voting preferences?

A

Mostly Labour until 2019

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is The Home Counties’ voting preferences?

A

Predominantly conservative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the reason for Scotland being left-wing, traditionally Labour?

A

Opposition to London-centred policies and New Right policies.
Specific social and economic problems.
Impact of devolution and Brexit.
SNP decline: financial scandal, gender arguments, collapse of Green coalition, poor healthcare

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the reason for Wales having a heavy Labour bias, but with strong levels of support from the Conservatives in more rural areas?

A

Industrial areas favour Labour.
Rural areas vote Conservative or Liberal Democrat.
The far west is more likely to vote nationalist.
Brexit took some Labour votes BUT not comparable to other areas. Likely to return to Labour. Some votes lost due to 20mph policy, and farming policy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the reason for Northern Ireland’s voting preferences of having their own party system, with a split between unionist and nationalist parties?

A

The party votes reflect religious and cultural divisions in the region.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the reason of London’s voting preferences of being majority Labour?

A

Increasing ethnic diversity.
Greater economic disparity across the city
Reliance on public services
More socially liberal than other regions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the reason for Rural England’s voting preference of being overwhelmingly Conservative?

A

Mostly white
Economically conservative
Socially conservative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the reason for Industrial Northern England’s voting preferences being mostly Labour until 2019?

A

Traditionally higher unemployment levels

Greater poverty rates and urban decay

Greater ethnic diversity

Increasing focus on socially conservative issues and nationalistic/ anti-EU feelings have seen many industrial areas turn away from the modern Labour Party towards the Conservative Party

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the reason for The Home Counties’ voting preferences being predominantly conservative?

A

London commuter belt, made up of C1, B, and A classes.
Mostly white
More conservative than London
Economically prosperous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Have there been any changes in Scotland’s voting preferences?

A

Since 2015 -> SNP dominance w/ Conservatives emerging as the main, though limited, opposition.
Swing back to Labour in 2024 (37/50 seats)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Have there been any changes in Wales voting preferences?

A

Since 2005 -> Labour support contracted to metropolitan areas in South Wales, the industrial north, and London.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Have there been any changes to voting preferences in Northern Ireland?

A

2019 reflected a shift towards nationalist parties.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Have there been any changes to London’s voting preferences?

A

Dominance fluctuated in early to mid-20th century

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Have there been any changes to Rural England’s voting preferences?

A

Conservatives lost some votes to UKIP in 2015, but gained them back later.
Likely to lose votes to REFORM immigration.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Have there been any changes to Industrial Northern England voting preferences?

A

Mostly Labour until the ‘red wall’ turned Conservative in many areas.
Returned to Labour in 2024.
Increased number of REFORM votes (2nd in many northern seats)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Have there been any changes to The Home Counties voting preferences?

A

In 2019, Labour lost votes from 2017
Conservative vote share remained constant in AB + C1 categories, and there was increased support from C2 + DE voters, usually Labour.
Some gains by Greens + REFORM

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What factor has the most limited effect on voting behaviour?
What is an exception?

A

Gender
Blair (1997-3005) won a larger female vote share than Labour usually achieves.
Young men more likely to vote reform.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What do men tend to accept/ prioritise? Give 1/ 3

A

Foreign intervention/ war
Nuclear power
Law and order

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What do women tend to accept/ prioritise? Give 1/2

A

Health
Education

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
How has gender become more of a party strategy?
1997) Blair launched “all-women shortlists” 2010) Cameron increased female Conservative MPs 2014) Lib Dem’s campaign on equal pay and more childcare provision 2017) Labour commits to gender impact assessment on policies
26
Give 2/3 points for age as a voting factor? According to a 2019 graph
Turnout tends to increase with age Conservative votes tend to increase with age Labour votes tend to decrease with age
27
Why might older voters favour the conservatives? Give 2/4
Preserve wealth -> accumulated money Traditional social values -> clash of different values Tories target grey areas Newspaper consumption mainly right wing -> older generations read them more
28
What was the “Youthquake”?
Claim that the youth were starting to vote for Corbyn but it was actually young people/ young adults… so this was misleading.
29
Why are BME voters more likely to vote for Labour?
Legacy of anti-immigration campaigning Windrush scandal BME group concentration into industrial urban centres Labour’s multi-cultural and anti-discrimination agenda
30
How is the UK class defined?
In terms of Wealth/ income and culture/ education
31
Until the 1980s, what was the biggest indication of voting intention?
Class
32
In 2010, what percentage of highest classes voted, and what percentage of lowest classes voted? (Turnout)
76% of highest classes voted 57% of lowest classes voted (Wealthier are more likely to vote)
33
What is class dealignment?
Where people no longer vote according to their social class
34
Class has become ____ important as an indicator of voting intention.
less
35
What is partisan dealignment?
The idea that people are less committed or loyal to one particular party
36
What social issues have become more important in determining voting pattern? Give 2
Age -> young voters tend to be more left, and have lower turnout. Education -> Conservatives perform better with GCSE levels of education (58% in 2019)
37
Why does higher education tend to equal more likely to vote Labour?
Educated people work for the state. Younger people are more educated (eg. Higher % get uni degrees), and young people tend to vote left.
38
The people that vote REFORM tend to be economically _____ wing and culturally _____ wing.
ECONOMICALLY Left wing (oppose austerity, support welfare spending, object to benefits for wealthy) CULTURALLY right wing (oppose or wish to restrict immigration ‘stop the boats’, wish to retain British cultural identity, oppose the EU, dislike political correctness/“woke” “culture wars”)
39
What impact has REFORM had in the last 10 years?
Taken a lot of conservative voters that lost faith in conservatives.
40
Did Corbyn appeal to the left-behind voters or alienate them further? Why?
He was accused of being contradictory in the media, where the working class didn’t like him.
41
Why did the Conservatives win support from ‘left behind’ voters in 2017 and 2019?
Majority voted for leaving the EU and conservatives were for Brexit. Talked about brining HS2
42
What factors are concerns of ‘left behind’ voters in 24/25?
They tend to vote as a last resort after losing faith in other parties, rather than voting for what they believe in and have researched. They may also bring down turnout. Culture wars and immigration?
43
What will the effect of Reform be in the next election on other parties?
Smaller parties might have a boost due to disillusionment with bigger parties like Conservatives and Labour
44
How has class changed as a voting intention factor?
It’s no longer a main factor in voting choice, as its influence has gradually declined after the 1960s or 1970s, then made a sudden sharp decline after BREXIT.
45
What are the four voting theories?
Rational choice voting Issue or spatial mod Valence/ governing model Economic model
46
What is the rational choice model?
Voters behave like consumers taking positions on issues. They look at policies on offer and decide how to vote on the basis of which policy is best for them.
47
What is an ISSUE with the rational choice model?
Doesn’t explain why voters feel differently about different issues/ positions Doesn’t explain how people vote when there is no overriding issues/ position
48
What is the salient issue/ spatial model?
1) Stresses importance of divisive positional issues. The party that wins is the one who has the policies which are aligned with the greatest amount of public views on these issues. 2) Parties will move to the centre ground 3) They change from election to election 4) Voters decide mainly on issues like Brexit, immigration, crime, education, economy, taxation
49
What is the valence/ governing competency model?
Voters chose on the basis of policy success… who would best govern? This is usually but not always on: 1) Strong leadership 2) Economic management
50
What is the economic voting model?
Management of economy is the deciding factor which outweighs all other factors
51
What’s an example of where the party leader’s popularity didn’t impact voting outcome?
Churchill 1945 was incredibly popular but people wanted change after war so they voted Labour instead to solve post-war issues like housing.
52
In 1997, who was a successful party leader and who was an unsuccessful one?
Blair was successful (young, charisma, media-savvy) Major was unsuccessful (weak, boring)
53
What is the dominant ideology model?
Voters are influenced by the ideology of powerful elites who project ideas that suit their interests
54
What is cognitive dissonance?
Stress felt when confronted by information that conflicts with our existing beliefs
55
What is the agenda setting theory of media influence?
Media might not change how we think, but can influence what we think about.
56
What is the framing theory of media influence?
Media can subtly frame (present) issues to influence how we think about them.
57
What is the reinforcement theory of media influence?
We choose media that agrees with rather than challenges our existing political views.
58
Give an example of media trying to influence voting choice?
Murdoch Sun
59
What’s the voting context model of voting behaviour?
It agrees that voting behaviour varies depending on the election type and circumstances facing each voter.
60
What’s the importance of a free media to a democratic society?
Plays an essential role in holding governments accountable, especially when parliamentary opposition is weak, as it was for much of the new Labour era.
61
What concerns are there with free media to a democratic society?
Popular newspapers tend to present an unduly simplified interpretation of political issues, focusing on personalities and boosting circulation.
62
What is the difference in coverage between newspapers and TV?
Newspapers -> alter alliance in response to changing circumstances TV -> less bias, w/ parties getting allocated time for their election broadcasts.
63
What’s a fact for media corporations?
80% media controlled by 5 corporations
64
In what election could it be said that the importance of the Internet was initially felt?
2010) 82% households had access. 2015) First general election in which social media played a huge role, w/ Conservatives reportedly spending £100,000 a month on Facebook advertising.
65
Where is there a digital divide?
Young people don’t read newspapers due to costs, inconvenience, and update numbers.
66
What is legacy media? What’s happening to it? Whats an example that shows a changing nature of politics?
Legacy media includes print, BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 It is declining. In 2019, it was biased against Corbyn but in the last 2 weeks he got a social media boost… showing changing nature of politics
67
Do opinion polls have significant affect on political campaigns? Give a YES
Lib Dems 2019 general election campaign -> initially promised to cancel Brexit but then pledged to hold a second referendum after polls showed their support had fallen
68
Do opinion polls have significant affect on political campaigns? Give a NO
In 2024, Labour got lower % of the popular vote than polls showed. Yet, they still did manage a majority.
69
What did the survey on the eve of the 2015 election suggest?
79% young people relied almost totally on online sources to inform themselves. 59% depended on social media to discover others’ opinion on politics.

Politics (18 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions