Democracy - Factors which influence voting behaviour including class, age and media Flashcards
Factors
Age, media, social class
LOA
This essay will argue that age has a greater influence on voting behaviour than other factors to a moderate extent
Age
One factor that influences voting behaviour is age, younger voters are more likely to vote for left wing parties whereas elders are more likely to vote for right wing parties. 66%of 18-19 year olds voted Labour in 2017. This shows that a clear majority of young adults sided with Labour (a left wing party). However, the problem for Labour is that younger voters are also less likely to vote, with 43% of young voters not casting a vote in 2017, rising to 53% in 2019. This compares to only 16% of over 70% choosing not to vote which shows that age influences both who you vote for and your likelihood to vote. Whilst Labour had a strong advantage among younger voters they did not win the 2017 and 2019 election, showing that maybe older voters, who were more likely to vote, give a strong advantage to the Conservative Party. The importance of age as a factor was demonstrated in the Brexit referendum where 64% of those over 65 voted to leave the EU, compared to only 29% of 18-24 year olds. So, this shows that age has a great influence on voting behaviour as it shows that elderly voters are more likely to influence the results of elections and referendums due to their pattern and turnout.
Media
Another factor that influences voting behaviour is the media. The influence of the old media cannot be underestimated as TV was seen as having a key role in 2019. 625 saw TV as their main source of info. Most newspapers support the Tories and in 2019 the Tory press created an image of Corbyn as an “apologist for terrorism”. The sun had a headline “dont chuck Britain in the Cor-bin”. This suggests political parties still see the “old media” as influential in convincing floating voters and Johnson saw the importance of the press when asking ‘to get Brexit done’; seen as an important factor in getting a Tory victory in 2019. However, others believe that the media simply reinforces voting behaviour. Research from the university of Michigan said “social media reinforces polarisation” and voters are more likely to search out groups where everyone agrees with them. This shows that voters are more inclined to read and watch news that favours the political party they support, meaning that it is only reinforcing their views. So, whilst some see the media having a major influence, others argue the media follows and does not lead the campaign, but with the relationship with age it can’t be totally ignored with so many young people using social media.
Social class
Another factor that influences voting behaviour is social class. The conservatives traditionally favour low taxes and reduced welfare support which appeal to wealthier people in social classes A/B whilst Labour and the SNP favour policies to redistribut wealth and spend more on the welfare state; policies which appeal to less well-off voters in social classes D/E. In the 2019 general lection 46% of voters in social classes A/B voted conservative and 44% of D/E voters chose Labour. This would suggest that over the years there has been a consistent pattern of class based voting with the Tories dependant on class AB and Labour on class DE. However, from the 1980s there is evidence of ‘class dealignment’ with people no longer voting along their ‘natural party’ lines. in 2019 the conservatives outperformed Labour across all social classes which shows that voters will vote for the party which looks the best to improve their standard of living.
Conclusion
In conclusion, age is a greater influence on voting behaviour than other factors to a moderate extent.
