Elections and Parties

Question 1

PR-STV

Answer 1

= proportional representation with single transferable vote
System by giving voters the ability to vote for candidates within and between parties, and even non-party candidates
Unusual in Europe

Question 2

INES

Answer 2

Irish National Electoral Study

Question 3

Party Identification Model

Answer 3

Only 25% felt close to a party in the INES (2002)
May have declined by about 30% in recent years
Stronger for FF, and perhaps some small parties, e.g. Greens

Question 4

Sociological Voting Model

Answer 4

= Class Position Voting Model

Question 5

Rational Choice (economic) or Pocket-Book Voting Model

Answer 5

Sinnott suggests about 28% choose who to vote for in the last few days/weeks of a campaign

Question 6

Ideological Voting Model

Answer 6

INES (2002): voters understood left-right distinctions in some way
Majority placed themselves on centre-right
May be more important for small (ideological) parties

Question 7

Clientelism and Voting Model

Answer 7

Voter and candidate know each other, and the voter expects a direct benefit for their vote

Question 8

Voting patterns

Answer 8

40% of the working class will vote FF, for FG 87% of Farmers voted either FF or FG
5% of working class will vote for SF
1-2% of middle class vote SF
15% of the working class voted for Labour
14% of middle class voted for Labour
4.4% of farmers voted for Labour
2-3% of working class voted for PDs
8% of middle class voted for PDs

Question 9

Class voting

Answer 9

FG and the Greens appear more middle class
Labour and FF are both, working and middle class
SF are more working class

Question 10

Parties or candidates (INES 2002)

Answer 10

62% candidate [59% in 2007]
38% party 
9% very close
15% somewhat close
26% closer to one than others
2% not very close 
47% not close at all 

same candidate, different party
46 % yes [39% in 2007]
17 % depend on party
37% no [48% in 2007]

Question 11

Local candidate (INES 2002)

Answer 11

37-40% vote according to whether he/she would be a good local representative
36% local contribution of a TD is what mattered
24% national impact what matters
30% contacted elected reps
75% of voters with preference vote for candidate had actually met the candidate

63% loyalty level for FG
60-67% loyalty level for FF

Question 12

FF supporters (INES 2002)

Answer 12

36% also voted for Independents [26% in 2007]
26% also voted for FG [12.8% in 2007]
23.2% also voted for Labour [17.1% in 2007] 23% of 23% also voted Green

Question 13

Young voters

Answer 13

25% of 18-25 repeatedly miss elections

20% went to small or new parties