Voting Behaviour

Question 1

Social Class - Working Class

Answer 1

Some working class people went over to the Conservative party in the 1980’s when Thatcher encouraged tenants to buy their houses.

Question 2

Social Class - Middle Class

Answer 2

Middle class people went to Labour party when Tony Blair was in power because Labour abandoned its cloth cap image.

Question 3

Class Dialignment

Answer 3

When social class change the type of party they vote for i.e. Working class move to Tories from Labour

Question 4

Embourgeoisment

Answer 4

As less people are identified as working class they may see themselves as middle class and change their voting behaviour i.e. Upwardly mobile person from a working class background may choose to vote Tory and their parents have always voted Labour.

Question 5

Party Identification

Answer 5

When people identify with a specific party because they have been brought up to support it or grew up in a certain part of the UK.

Question 6

Partisan Dialignent

Answer 6

When people change who they usually vote for due to change in attributes or beliefs.

Question 7

Geographical Factors

Answer 7

Some parts of the UK are Labour (North England, Scotland, South Wales, London).
Some parts of the UK are Conservative (South of England, The Home Counties)

Question 8

Gender

Answer 8

For a long time in British history women were likely to vote Conservative, but under Tony Blair many women turned to Labour

Question 9

Age

Answer 9

Older people tend to vote Conservative and younger people usually go for Labour and Lib Dem.

Question 10

Public/Private Sector

Answer 10

People working in public sector (NHS, civil servants, teachers) tend to vote Labour
People that own private businesses tend to vote Conservative as the party is more sympathetic to enterprise and wealth creation

Question 11

Race/Ethnicity

Answer 11

Ethnic minorities tend to vote Labour or Lib Dem as Conservative are seen to be hostile to immigration.

Question 12

Rational Voting

Answer 12

Some voters vote depending on the pros and cons a party has to offer

Question 13

Floating Voters

Answer 13

Voters who haven’t made up their mind or might change to another party.

Question 14

Marginal Seats

Answer 14

These are the seats the party leaders want to capture above all others. i.e. Stevenage in Hertfordshire.

Question 15

The State of the Economy

Answer 15

If the party in power has made a good job running the economy they should get back in i.e. Tony Blair in 2005 despite the unpopularity of the Iraq War