Voting Behaviour Flashcards
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (direct expression of thought)
They allow the electorate to directly express an answer to a particularly significant or divisive question
This becomes increasingly important when you take into consideration the 2016 EU referendum, matter which should arguably placed in the hands of the citizenry due to the fact the politicians from the governing party, the Conservatives, couldn’t agree on the “right” course of action for the UK
For example, a large majority of Cabinet members (18) supported EU membership, including the PM David Cameron, Chancellor George Osborne, and Home Secretary Theresa May.
On the other hand, 4 Cabinet members supported leave, including Justice Secretary Michael Gove, and Commons Leader Chris Grayling.
Beyond Cabinet, Conservative MPs were roughly split 60:40 in favour of EU membership.
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (direct expression of thought) Evaluation
The opinion of the electorate can be distorted due to misleading and false claims.
During the Leave Campaign, one of the most prominent claims made was that the UK would take back £350m a week once it had left the EU, with the sum going to the NHS.
On the day after the referendum result, Nigel Farage, a leader of the Leave campaign, disowned the pledge, labelling it a “mistake”.
A poll by Ipsos MORI published in June 2016 found that nearly half the British public believed the claim.
As a result, in May 2019, Boris Johnson was ordered to appear in court over this false claim
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (coalition)
When there is a coalition government, the coalition government has no direct mandate from the electorate
This become increasingly significant when you take into account that the 2011 Coalition Agreement was agreed after the election and was therefore not a manifesto to be voted on by the public.
Hence, in the case of the 2011 AV Referendum, the only democratic way to get a real sense of whether the electorate wanted the electoral system was to hold a referendum.
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (coalition) Evaluation
Despite the fact that 68% voted no, there was a turnout of only 42.2%.
In addition to this, the 1997 referendum in Wales on whether to introduce a Welsh Assembly as part of the devolution process only had a 50.1% turnout.
Hence, such low turnouts may damage the referendum’s mandate in an attempt to give the electorate a greater say.
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (coalition) Counter-evaluation
Low turnout in 2011 was attributed to lack of understanding of the fine details of the differences in electoral systems by the electorate and also (more cynically) a chance for the electorate to “punish” the Lib Dems for backing down on their tuition fee removal promise once in coalition.
Therefore, in this case, accurate representations of the collective views of the nation may not have actually ben illustrated.
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (scrutiny)
Allows for more effective scrutiny of representatives in government
The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum boosted the public’s awareness of key issues such as tax, economic growth, and EU membership rose considerably following the marketing and media campaigns of both sides (Yes Scotland and Better Together)
This should allow the electorate to scrutinise the work of their representatives in Westminster and Scottish Parliament more closely and effectively.
The view that increased use of referenda would improve democracy in the UK (scrutiny) Evaluation
As the outcome of that referendum showed, the division between voters was very close, with 55.3% voting to remain part of the UK and 44.7% voting for independence, so a large proportion of the Scottish population did not get the result they wanted.
Hence, although scrutiny of the executive was improved, this democratic advantage is undermined by the fact that almost half of the electorates opinion was disregarded anyway.
The view that, for the general public, the media is more significant than policy statements and manifestoes from political parties (Televised debates)
• The 2010 General Election set a precedent as being the first general election in the UK to incorporate the use of televised debates; these are immensely impactful as they provide an opportunity for personalities to emerge as well as allow the viewers to see how a potential leader copes under a pressurised situation.
In addition to this, David Cameron dominated the debate as presented himself in a charismatic and statesman-like.
Hence, this may have been a cause of his victory as he had portrayed himself as the dominant political figure in comparison to Clegg and Brown.
Furthermore, when Theresa May refused to take part in TV debates ahead of the 2017 General Election, rival political leaders capitalised on this, with Corbyn accusing the PM of dodging a head-to-head showdown.
This heavily undermined May’s mantra of a “strong and stable leadership”, with her absence conveying her weakness of authority to the entire nation.
As a result, the Conservatives lost 13 seats, as well as their working majority.
The view that, for the general public, the media is more significant than policy statements and manifestoes from political parties (Televised debates) Evaluation
The role of televised debates may not be as effective as it seems when you take into consideration voter heuristics based on the nation’s demographics.
This means that voters may vote irrationally based on what their peers, community, ethnic or religious group may be voting.
For example, lower socioeconomic groups are more inclined to vote Labour than higher socioeconomic groups.
Therefore, even if their favourite leader performs poorly in the televised debate, they would still vote for them, amplifying this sense of tribal party loyalty.
The view that, for the general public, the media is more significant than policy statements and manifestoes from political parties (Social Media)
In the 2017 election, Labour outflanked the Conservatives in the battle for votes on social media for the first time in a major election.
Labour dominated the digital election because the party also used Facebook, Twitter and online videos to build and motivate its voter base.
For example, in Labour’s YouTube Campaign entitled “We’re Rebuilding Britain”, Labour pledged to build a million affordable new homes over the next decade and bring back essential services back into public ownership.
These policies were particularly effective in impacting young couples and families struggling to gain a foot on the housing ladders, as well as those tired with “rip-off energy and water” and “expensive, overcrowded trains”.
By contrast, even in the final hours of the campaign, the Conservatives were using social media to target Labour marginals rather than defend its own vulnerable seats, many of which it went on to lose.
In addition, the Tories also failed to harness the rapid reaction capabilities of social media campaigning, with some adverts taking as long as 4-days from production to publication.
The view that, for the general public, the media is more significant than policy statements and manifestoes from political parties (Social Media) Evaluation
The majority of social media users are in the 16-22 age gap, meaning that they may be less politically charged compared to older voters.
Thus, social media endorsements, especially in regards to scrapping tuition fees, are useless for 16 and 17 year old as they can’t vote, though are most likely to sue social media compared to other age-groups.
Also, 40% of the UK population still doesn’t use social media, as a result, the effects of endorsements on these platforms would have no effect on this demographic.
The view that, for the general public, the media is more significant than policy statements and manifestoes from political parties (Political strategists)
In the 1978 Conservative General Election Campaign, Gordon Reece worked as a political strategist for Thatcher. He radically changed her image by modifying how she projected herself, by softening her appearance and image, as well as deepening her voice slightly.
Hence, instead on making policy changes in order to increase appeal, Thatcher opted to modify her on-screen, radio, and newspaper image in order to attract votes.
Thatcher won 62 seats, winning a total 339.
The view that, for the general public, the media is more significant than policy statements and manifestoes from political parties (Political strategists) Evaluation
Party policy also played a majorly significant role when you take into consideration the Left’s hatred of Thatcher.
Her hostile anti-Left policies, including mass-privatisation of key public utilities and anti-trade union legislation, served to repel the Conservatives further from the Labour support base (i.e. manual labourers, low-income-earners) and so played an instrumental role in determining public-support for her in the General Election.
Evaluate the view that social factors determine voter behaviour (Class)
In the 2015 election, there were noticeable class divides in regards to party affiliation.
The Conservative Party the received the majority of its support from upper-middle class and middle-class voters, while Labour still received the majority of its support from working-class votes.
Evaluate the view that social factors determine voter behaviour (Class) Evaluation
A closer examination shows varying degrees of class dealignment.
Although 45% of AB classes (professional and managerial voters) supported the Conservatives, as might be expected, 26% voted for Labour and 12% voted Liberal Democrat.
Similarly, although 41% of DE classes voted Labour, there were still 27% who voted Conservative and 19% who voted UKIP.
In addition, salient valence issues also play a major role, as political parties promote objectives which most people agree on, but disagree regarding the capabilities of the different political parties to achieve these stated objectives.
For example, the Conservatives have been traditionally viewed by the electorate as more economically competent.
Hence, competence is a major factor is determining voter behaviour
