Political parties and elections - voting behaviour Flashcards
What type of values/ideas does the conservative party promote?
The conservative party promotes traditional British values, favouring lower taxation.
Generally what groups tend to favour the conservatives?
Historically, the conservatives receive more support form the middle and upper classes.
What is the key demographic for the conservative party?
Older, white, middle or upper-class
What is a statistic regarding conservative votes and class?
In 2017, 46% of people in social classes A and B voted conservative.
What is rational choice theory?
Rational choice theory is where voters vote simply because policies of the party at the time favour them. Common with conservative voters.
Compare the voting statistics from 1992 and 1997?
In 1992 the Conservatives had 52% of the vote, labour had 22%. In 1997 the conservatives had 39%, Labour had 34%.
How relevant is ‘party ID’ in influencing voting behaviour?
It used to be far more influential, but now there are more ‘floating voters’.
What social group was labour created to support?
Labour was made to represent the working class.
What social classes generally favour labour?
Social classes D and E
What are voting percentages that show social classes D and E support for labour?
In 2017, 46% of people from classes D and E voted labour
What policies did labour introduce that would cause the working class to favour them?
They created the welfare state and introduced the national minimum wage.
What is an example of labour voters switching due to party dealignment?
In 2019 many labour voters switched to UKIP to “get Brexit done”.
What is the SNP’s main policy?
Scottish independence
What was the SNP’s transition in image/party policy?
They went from so-called “Tartan Tories” to the self-proclaimed progressive left-wing social-democrat party.
What are some examples of SNP policies?
Collective policies such as free university education, free prescriptions and an anti-nuclear weapons stance.
How many Scottish parliament election have the SNP won in recent years?
The SNP have not lost a Scottish-parliament election since 2007.
What happened regarding support for the SNP in 2017 and wy+hy?
In the 2017 snap election, Scottish support dwindled for the SNP as a result of their “obsession” with independence.
What is a statistic shows the turn of support for the SNP in 2017?
The SNP lost 21 seats across Britain, decreasing their kept seats to 35.
What are the factors which affect voting behaviour?
- Age
- Gender
- Class
- Ethnicity
- Education
- geography
What did Pulzer say about social class and politics?
“Social class was the basis of party politics; everything else was just embellishment and detail”
What classes supported the conservatives until the 1970s?
Classes A, B and C1
Up until 1970, what classes generally supported labour?
Classes C2, D and E
What did the 2014 independence reveal about class and voting behaviour in Scotland?
In 2014 the poorest council areas all voted yes and the middle-class areas voted no.
What is party dealignment?
Where voters vote on immediate issues that affect them, instead of party ID.
What is an example in 2015, highlighting party-dealignment?
In 2015 around 4 million Brits voted for UKIP
What are some examples of immediate “issues” influencing voting behaviour?
The idea of over-immigration and people entering the UK, “stealing jobs, houses and benefits”.
What party do young people tend to favour?
younger voters tend to be more collectivist, favouring parties like labour
What party do older people tend to favour?
Older voters tend to be more individualist, favouring the conservatives.
What were the party voting percentages for the conservatives in the 2017 general election regarding age?
In the 2017 general election around 28% young voters voted conservative, comparing with 58% of older voters.
What were the party voting percentages for Labour in the 2017 general election regarding age?
In the 2017 general election around 51% of younger voters voted labour, compared with 20% of older voters.
What did Churchill say about age and the parties one should vote for?
Churchill said “If you’re not a Liberal by the time you’re 20 you have no heart, but if you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 40 you have no brain”
What is the voter turnout for people aged between 18 and 24?
The voter turnout for people aged between 18 and 24 is around 52%.
What is the voter turnout for people aged 65 and above?
The voter turnout for people aged 65 and above is around 75%.
What percent of BAME voters vote conservative?
Around 23% of BAME voters vote conservative.
What percent of white voters vote conservative?
Around 39% of white people vote conservative.
What percentage of BAME voters vote labour?
Around 65% of BAME voters vote labour.
What percentage of white voters vote labour?
Around 28% of white voters vote labour.
What is a counter to saying that age determines voting behaviour?
young voters may initially vote in favour of what their parents vote for.
What are the four short-term factors influencing voting behaviour?
- The rational-choice model
- Self-interest/consumer voting
- Issue voting
- Leaders image
What is the rational-choice model?
It is when voters are influenced by short-term matters, instead of voting along the lines of, say, socialism. It means voters may vote based on changeable factors such as specific issues and party image.
What is self-interest/consumer voting?
It is where voters vote in terms of their own rational self-interest. It is influenced by things such as the economy, jobs, pay, housing etc…
What is an example of self-interest voting?
In 2010 and 2015 the economy was identified as an issue, so Cameron’s ‘long-term economic plan’ helped him win.
What is issue voting?
Issue voting is where people vote regarding specific issues such as immigration or taxation.
What is leaders image votin?
Leaders image voting is where a voter votes based on the merit of the leader.
