Class - Evans and Tillet

Question 1

In the 60s, what was the pre-eminent factor used to explain party allegiance in the UK?

Answer 1

SOCIAL CLASS

Question 2

What is Valence Politics?

Answer 2

A model of VOTING BEHAVIOUR that emphasises individual votes based on people’s judgement of the OVERALL COMPETENCE of the rival political parties

Question 3

At what time was it generally agreed that class was pre-eminent among the factors used to explain party allegiance in GBR?

Answer 3

1960s

Question 4

What model assumes that classes are losing their distinctiveness

Answer 4

CLASS HETEROGENEITY

There is a degree of class overlap

Question 5

What does the “bottom up” perspective of cleavage change assume?

Answer 5

Divisions shaped along occupational, religious, ethnic or linguistic lines influencing interests, values and party preferences.
Rising living standards have spread affluence through the class structure.

Question 6

Who describes the “opening up of the electorate”?

Answer 6

Rose and McAllister

- Assumes that classes, esp working class, has lost social cohesiveness and distinctiveness

Question 7

How does the “top-down” structuring of the cleavages get direction?

Answer 7

From the action of the POLITICAL PARTIES and their STRATEGIC POSITIONING

Question 8

What has reduced the size of the manual working class?

Answer 8

Globalization and de-industrialisation

Question 9

How many elections defeats occured prior to Labour’s move to the centre ground?

Answer 9

4

Question 10

When did Rose and McAllister first start to see an increase in electoral responsiveness?

Answer 10

1970s - No longer locked into a class-dictated pattern of voting

Question 11

What do Evans and Tilley say should happen if the political parties polarise more?

Answer 11

• Party Polarization should increase magnitude of association between social position and party choice
• Party convergence should therefore reduce it