C14) Voting Behaviour

Question 1

what is psephology?

Answer 1

the study of elections & trends in voting

Question 2

what are long term/ social factors

Answer 2

refer to stable & usually unchanging differences between ppl, such as class, age, gender, ethnicity etc

Question 3

what are short term factors?

Answer 3

• volatile & changeable influences, such as rational decision making, reputations, the state of the economy, the media

Question 4

what classifications are w/c and m/c?

Answer 4

• A & B- M/C
• D & E - W/C

Question 5

what past evidence supports the notion of class alignment?

Answer 5

• 1964:
• lab- 64% of DEv
• cons- 78% of ABv
• peter pulzer - pol scientist- ‘class is the basis of british party politics; al else is embelllllishment & detail

Question 6

wat are teh possible reasons behind class dealignment?

Answer 6

• both maj Ps developed strong & deep roots within communities- culture for v for 1 P or other
• selfish reasons- instrumental voting- voting for a P that beleive will do most for you eg lab policies to help w/c, cons thought to protect interests of m/c

Question 7

what evidence from recent elections shows that class alignment still exists?

Answer 7

• 2017: lab 59% of DEv (up from 41% in 2015, 40% in 2010
• bc of JC’s old lab ideas/ manifesto- to help w/c more & appeal
• Ps still have a ‘core support’ from soc class bases- 2017 cons >10% ABv than lab, lab 9%>DEv than cons/ 2024 lab ahead in all classes but esp in ‘lower’ soc classes
• advent of austerity= decline in incomes since 2008 crash- more class divisions & falling wages, dcrease in public services & impact & effect of Grenfel tower tragedy

Question 8

what recent evidence supps notion o class dealignment?

Answer 8

• 2019- lab 39% of DEv/ cons 41% DEv
• 2024- lab 36% ABv, 34% DEv/ cons 27% ABv

Question 9

what are the possible reasons behind class dealignment?

Answer 9

• ‘trad’ w/c- few working in heavy industry w harsh conditioins & a strong TU link, now >50% of workers in service industries- small units, relatively clean conditions, weal TU link& many women & parttime workers
• so a ‘new’ w/c w increased standards of living \& increased home ownership- many C2 think of themselves as m/c or ‘aspiring’ w/c
• ‘embourgeoisement’- adoption of m/c values & manners of groups trad w/c
• so Ps, esp after 1980s, have policies centrist & consensual- appeal to a wider class base

Question 10

what recent evidence shows social class is no longer a predictable measure of voting behaviour?

Answer 10

• lab 2017 evidence could be down to JC’s leadership
• 2019 cons higher pop among all soc classes, incl w/c- positioned themselves as pro-brexit- maj of w/c vs shared desire to leave EU- so salient issues more ip
• 2024 lab most pop in all- even A,B,C1- vs across soc held cons accountable for COLC & salient issue of ‘ec health’

Question 11

where was the traditional labour heartland?

Answer 11

• north of eng- trad w/c- class alignment
• ‘Red Wall’ of base supp

Question 12

how can the fall of lab’s ‘red wall’ at 2019 GE be explained?

Answer 12

• many N const consdered w/c areas, were pro brexit, so supported Ts who they thought would ‘get brexit done’

Question 13

what does the fall of lab’s red wall show abt signif of voting behaviour & whether its predictable factor of v behav?

Answer 13

• signif- clear geog pattern in way uk voted
• but stances on brexit, the salient issue, were the real cause behind it
• that n seats changed so quickly from lab to cons shows that region is not predictable factor

Question 14

how is partisan alignment a significant long term factor in voting behaviour?

Answer 14

• party loyalties historicaly strong- 1964- 48% ID strongly w a specific party, in 2019- 15%- partisan dealignment
• declining membership of main Ps & decline in their vote share- 1970= 89%, 2024= 57%
• has been cause dby class dealignment, better political educ, Ps producing similar policies

Question 15

what is rational choice theory?

Answer 15

• idea that voters act like consumers and vote ofr party they beleive they’ll dervive most benefit from

Question 16

what is salient issue/ issue voting?

Answer 16

• part of rational choice theoru- idea that voters consider the salient issues most imp to themm when deciding how to vote/ judgement of Ps on this issue eg brexit or COLC

Question 17

what is instrumental voting?

Answer 17

• part of rational choice- idea that rational voters will vote for the party they belive will bring them most benefit eg increasing their wages

Question 18

what is expressive voting?

Answer 18

• part of RCT- idea that rational voters will v for which P they belive will bring most benefit to country as a whole, not just themselves eg best policy on environment

Question 19

what is positional voting?

Answer 19

• part of RCT- idea that rational voters will vote for a P they believe shares their position/ perspective on salient issues

Question 20

valence voting

Answer 20

• theory that voters decide who to vote for based on personal judgements of how far they trust the competing Ps to deliver ie to deliver effective leadership, deliver a strong ec, competent gov

Question 21

what are floating voters?

Answer 21

• voters not strongly attatched to one P or another and can be persuaded to vote for any P; susceptible to infl of short-term factors on v behav

Question 22

what evidence suggests floating voters are on the rise/

Answer 22

• stats on partisan dealignment eg 1964, 58% of vs said ID strongly w a party, 2019=15%
• evidence shows 49% voters voted for dif parties across the 3 elections from 2010-17w

Question 23

what is ‘valence politics’?

Answer 23

• known as competence voting; model of voting behav that emphasises that indivs vote based upon ppls judgements of the overall competence of the rival pol Ps

Question 24

what valence factors/ short term are there?

Answer 24

• policies/ maifestos
• conduct of campaigns
• governing party competence
• teh economy

Question 25

arguements for opps winning GEs?

Answer 25

opps win: - battle of brands as gov runs out of ideas - lab against T's 'back to basics' slogan & trad values focus fails to produce visionary agenda, tb;s third way preffered by public - effective campaigns - win over media & so voters

Question 26

arguements for governments losing GEs?

Answer 26

- imp of effectiveness of opps campaigns should not be exaggerated as tirig of Ps in gov & personalities in gov- largely predicted lab would win & callaghan remained the more popular leader - electorate known to punish failure & misconduct - opp winning the media- not always leaders eg callaghan more pop than MT, who was seen as condescending - gov's competence, handling of ec & ingteranal conflicts

Question 27

how does age effect voting behav?

Answer 27

- every 10 years older u are, increased by 9% likeliness you'll vote tory - lab won 56% votes from 18-24 (21% T) - cons won 67% from 65+ (lab 14%) - younger ppl tend to be progressive & left-leaning - older- right wing & economically self-interested - so link to Ps, wholl offer for dif age groups, eg 2017 jc abolish tuition fees

Question 28

how is ethnicity not v influential as a factor determining voting behav?

Answer 28

- explained as instrumental- BME vs tend to be from more w/c areas & white in affluent/ rural areas