Chapter 17 - Voters

Question 1

Define party identification

Answer 1

Long-term attachment to a particular political party, which provides a filter for understanding political events.

Question 2

What is partisan dealignment

Answer 2

The weakening bond between voters and parties, reflected both in a fall in the proportion of voters identifying with any party and a decline in the strength of allegiance among those retaining a party loyalty.

Question 3

How does voters choose a party?

Answer 3

Social class
Religion
Issue voting
The economy 
The personality of leaders

Question 4

What is secularization?

Answer 4

The declining space occupied by religion in political, social and personal space.

Question 5

What is issue-voting?

Answer 5

The phenomenon of voters making choices at elections based on the policies that most interest them, rather than solely on the basis of sociological or demographic factors.

Question 6

Define vote-buying?

Answer 6

The process whereby parties and candidates provide material benefits to voters in return for their support at elections.

Question 7

What is electoral authoritarianism?

Answer 7

An arrangement in which a regime gives the appearance of being democratic, and offering voters a choice, while maintaining its authoritarian qualities.

Question 8

Define electoral volatility

Answer 8

(Väljarflyk)

A measure of the degree of change in support for political parties from one election to another.