Political campaigns Flashcards
when do election campaigns occur
Election campaigns occur for a period of time in the lead up to an election.
what happens during political campaigns
Candidates and political parties prepare and present their ideas and positions to the public and seek to persuade citizens to vote for them.
what are the long term socio- economic influences political votes
Party Identification
Parental Influence
Gender
Ethnicity
Class
what are some mid term influences on voters
Government Performance
Opposition Performance
The Opposition Leader
Leadership
Economic Conditions
Political Events
short term influences on voters
Election Timing
The Election Campaign
Length of Election Campaign
Quality of Candidates
Advertising
Local Issues
Policy Announcements and Presentation
how do politicians influence voter behavior
Public debate
Media
Opinion polls
Advertising
Interest Groups
Important Issues
Party Loyalty
what is public debate
Competing candidates will often engage in debates on television or radio during elections.
what are opinion polls
Opinion polls are surveys on public opinion about politicians, political parties or current issues.
define interest groups in detail
Sometimes called lobby groups.
Groups which are organised to campaign on a particular issue or seek to influence government policy.
Interest groups often support candidates whose policies align with their interests.
Represent business sectors, professions, social causes, or minority groups
what is party loyalty
some voters are loyal to one party and they always vote for them
what is swinging voters
People who are not loyal to one party and frequently change their vote are called ‘undecided’ or ‘swinging’ voters.
who are election campaigns focused on
Elections are essentially decided by swinging voters, so election campaigns are often focused primarily on them.
list some short term issues voters are concerned by
tax cuts, better welfare benefits, education funding, childcare subsidies for parents, or improving infrastructure.
list some long term issues voters are concerned by
the environment, unemployment, economic growth.
define scare campaigns
scare campaign are negative advertisements that are used by enemy parties to scare voters from voting for a certain party
