class based voting and other influences on voting patterns 4.1 Flashcards
who were working class
manual labour workers (blue collar)
who did the working class vote for
labour
what did the working class work with
-coal
-steel
-textiles
-shipbuilding
who did the middle class vote for (white collar)
conservatives
what is class voting
-voting for the political party which best protects and serves your personal interests
when was class dealignment first seen
final third of the 20th Century
what is class dealignment
when an individual no longer identifies themselves belonging to a certain class and votes for the party they are not expected to, given their background
why would some middle class vote Labour
-1st hand experience with working class people (teachers / social workers)
-moral beliefs
why did some working class vote Conservative
-respect for born leaders
-respect for patriotism
why did the link between class and voting diminish
working class people wanted more of a middle class lifestyle
what did Thatcher do to gain votes from working class
-sold council homes/flats to the working class
-felt like homeowners and more important
-reduce union power
how did Tony Blair gain right supporters
dropping clause 4
stats for class voting
2010
-76% two highest class voter
-57% two lowest class voted
-74% homeowners
-55% private renters
what is partisan dealignment
-individual no long identifies long term with a specific party (floating/swing voters)
why was there newly formed party dealignment
apathy and disillusion
what is the percentage of people who vote CON and LAB in 1979
81%
what is the percentage of people who vote CON and LAB in 1997
74%
what is the percentage of people who vote CON and LAB in 2010
65%
What’s another way of explaining voting behaviour
rational choice theory
what is rational choice theory
people acting in self interest (sometimes irrationally)
why is the rational choice theory problematic
assumes that every decision is based on policies (not linked to current issues)
what are three examples of the rational theory choice not working
-THATCHER (after callaghan)
-BLAIR (after major)
-CAMERON (after brown’s recession)
what are some of the factors which voters vote for
-party COMPENTENCY
-strong LEADERSHIP
-manage ECONOMY safely
-POLICY success
what is a ‘feel good factor’
when the party can be remembered for something they have done for the country like Falklands war 1982
