2.23 6 markers

Question 1

Explain the different models of voting

Answer 1

Sociological Model

• Emphasizes role of integration into social groups. e.g. ethnicity, social class
• Lazarsfeld: “a person thinks politically as he or she is socially”
• “social characteristics determine political preferences”. The political consciousness of individuals is based on social experiences and has little weight outside these experiences. In this model, importance is given to primary socialization.

Rational Choice Model

• Recognises most voters are not strong identifiers and have no real connection with the political parties- unaligned
• Ivor Crewe: “votes are up for grabs”.

Voters decide based on manifesto, party leaders etc.
- Decision based on who will benefit them and their families
- Butler and Stokes - issue salient if:
— voters be aware of issue
— voters have an opinion on an issue
— voters detect a difference between parties on the issue
— voters must actually convert their preference into actually voting for the party whose views on the issues approximate to their own.

Valence Model
- Refers to the relative success or failure of a government’s policies.
- Voters who vote according to valence factors are making their decision based on whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with the government’s performance.
- More sig with partisan dealignment

Party Identification Model
- Floating voters= not committed to one party
- Partisans= loyal
- ‘partisan alignment’ and ‘partisan de-partalignment’.

• 1945-1970 62% working class voted Labour, 66% middle class voted Conservative.
• 29% of the electorate were partizans in 1974, but only 9% in 2005

Question 2

Explain short-term factors of voting

Answer 2

Party leaders, campaigns, manifesto, single-issues

Question 3

Explain long-term factors of voting

Answer 3

Ideologies, ethnicity, gender

Question 4

Explain two reasons for partisan dealignment

Answer 4

• Increase in education
  2019- those with degree: 43% Labour, 29% Cons
• increase in media access