Electoral Behaviour

Question 1

what are the two classic theories on electoral behaviour?

Answer 1

-party identification theory

-political cleavage theory

Question 2

what is meant by party identification?

Answer 2

a measure of the association people have with a political party (based on long-term psychological identification)

Question 3

what are the sources of party identification?

Answer 3

-socialisation

-institutions

Question 4

what is a problem with party identification?

Answer 4

it is better suited for the US rather than Europe, because in Europe people identify with social groups instead of parties

Question 5

what are the effects of party identification on voters?

Answer 5

-organising device for political evaluation and judgements
-device of political mobilisation

Question 6

what are the effects of party identifications on the system?

Answer 6

stabilises electoral behaviour and makes it more predictable

Question 7

what does political cleavage theory mainly say about electoral behaviour?

Answer 7

electoral behaviour is the result of underlying cleavage structures of societies

Question 8

what are the origins of these underlying cleavage structures that shape societal electoral behaviour according to political cleavage theory?

Answer 8

they are the product of long historical processes

Question 9

which three important factors constitute a cleavage?

Answer 9

1. social division
2. collective identity
3. organisational expression

Question 10

what are the two main sources of cleavages?

Answer 10

1. national revolutions
2. the Industrial Revolution

Question 11

what are the four key political cleavages?

Answer 11

owner - worker
church - state
urban - rural
centre - periphery

Question 12

what are the effects of cleavages on voters?

Answer 12

-organising device for political evaluation and judgements
-formation of strong collective political identities

Question 13

what are the effects of cleavages on the system?

Answer 13

-stabilises electoral behaviour and makes it more predictable
-formation of (different) party systems

Question 14

what do both party identification theory and political cleavage theory have in common?

Answer 14

1. An emphasis on stability and predictability of electoral behaviour
2. An emphasis on long-term factors underpinning electoral behaviour
3. General theories of electoral behaviour

Question 15

what is dealignment?

Answer 15

a decline in party loyalty that reduces long-term party commitment

Question 16

what are the main consequences of dealignment?

Answer 16

-increased electoral volatility
-increase in fragmentation of party systems
-split ticket voting
-increased importance of electoral campaigns

Question 17

what are the two new patterns of electoral behaviour?

Answer 17

1. Issue voting
2. New cleavage politics

Question 18

what is issue voting?

Answer 18

when choosing candidates, voters no longer rely on parties but rather on positions and valence issues

Question 19

what are new cleavage politics?

Answer 19

traditional cleavages have been replaced by newer ones (Silent Revolution)

Question 20

what is the new centre-periphery cleavage?

Answer 20

losers of modernisation vs. winners of the modern economic system