Voting behaviour and media Flashcards
What evidence can you put forward to address the misconception working class always vote labour and middle class conservative
1 Thatcher won 3 general elections with significant working class support (1979 1983 1987)
2 Theresa May and Boris Johnson won many traditional working class seats
3 seats that were firm conservative wer won by labour in 2017 and 2019
Describe the social classes and their composition
A higher managerial professionals - judges, company directors - upper middle class
B middle managers, professionals - teachers, lawyers, accountants - middle class
C1 clerical workers - junior management, shop owners - lower middle class
C2 skilled workers - builders, electricians, hairdressers - aspirational working class
D semi skilled - in skilled factory workers - working class
E casual workers - casual workers, long term unemployed , elderly on state pension - Working class
What is partisan dealignment
The way in which voters since the 1970s a decline in class based votes
How were parties in general elections between 1945 and 1966 supported
The conservatives were supported from A B C1 voters
Labour supporters were from C2 D and E voters
What surprising event took place in 1970 general election
Conservative Leader Edward Heath won surprising victory over Labour Harold Wilson
What did this victory demonstrate
That issue voting could determine general election results as much as class based voting
In this 1970 election why did conservatives win a large number of traditional labour seats
Following Enoch Powells River of Blood speech large numbers of white working class believed immigration would be more tightly controlled by conservatives
Give 3 examples of a voting in a general election based on government competence rather Than class based voting
1 1979 Margaret Thatcher launched conservative campaign in Labour supporting Cardiff
2 Blairs New Labour campaign increased labour share in all social categories
3 2017 Jeremy Voronezh gained more support in AB whilst May gained in de voters
4 2019 Johnson thanked labour voters who lent their votes to conservatives
What did Thatchers campaign focus on
1 controlling inflation
2 enabling people to buy their council houses
3 confronting trade unions
4 strong national defence
Why was Corbyn successful
Pro Europeans in higher classes wanted to punish conservatives for for Brexit
On the morning of the GE Johnson told labour voters he would never take their support for granted what did this suggest
Conservatives understood that they were not the natural choice for the working class so they will try and maintain support by focusing on NHS and leveling up
What is class de alignment
Voters are less likely to vote according to their class
Most parties can claim support in certain parts of the country why is this
Mainly due to social and ecconomic factors
Describe an area conservatives generally do well in
South east
1 prosperous region of uk
2 high levels of home ownership
3 little tradition of trade union ism
4 white and rural
Describe an area Labour generally do well in
1 ethnically diverse cities - Birmingham
2 large working class population
3 major centers of industry
Why do Lib Dems not do well in first past post system
They have few areas of concentrated support but popular in south west rural wales
What has happened to conservative support in London since 2010
Become increasingly more labour which party’s share of votes increased bu 9.2%- may be due to more pro European position
What are and what has happened in left behind areas
Left behind areas are areas that used to have lots of industry but now lack opportunities - conservatives have dramatically increased their shares in these areas
What are the voting trends according to age and why
Conservative Party support is strongest amongst older voters -. they traditionally emphasise low taxation, strong national defence, law an d order
Labour and Lib Dems strongest support from young voters who are more concerned with social justice and the environment
Historically what has the impact been of age on GE
Labour and conservative have been most successful when they have been able to reach support beyond their core supporters 1997 Labour achieved 5% lead over conservatives among 65%+ helping Blair to his landslide victory
What were historical voting trends of ethnic groups
Immigrants generally were c2, D and E classes and more likely to vote labour because of high welfare spending and association with union - Labour first party to introduce race relations acts
Because of Enoch Powells rivers of blood speech 1968 calling for an end to common wealth immigration made Conservative Party seem hostile to immigrant communities
Johnson and truss cabinets are the most ethnically diverse in uk and Sunak is the first asian PM, this may suggest the Conservative Party may win some labour votes, what might challenge this
Sunak s privileged background
Traditionally what how is voting behaviour influenced by education
Those with higher education qualifications traditionally vote conservative
What happened to this pattern in 2017 and 2019
Conservatives increased their support with those with fewest qualifications and labour increased support from those with degrees
2019 general election results suggest this is a trend
Explain why conservatives may have increased support
They have tricker controls on immigration increasing their support in white working class
Labours approach to Brexit has increased its support with more educated who voted remain
Why is the gender voting gap minimal in younger voters
Men and women play increasingly similar roles in the family and workplace but women are more likely to vote labour as they concentrate on education, social care and NHS
How has gender influenced voting trends and why
1 labour had a close association with male dominated trade unions and had a reputation for allowing inflation to spiral hitting family finances meant conservatives appealed to house wives
2 in 1959 McMillian associated conservatives with prosperity and stability of family life
3 1970 Heath pledged to reduce cost of living winning housewife votes and defeating Wilson
4 1979 Thatcher spoke of women’s concerns that labour government had aloud inflation to undermine family finances and unions were pulling society apart
What are valence factors
Success or failure of government policies
Why are variance factors becoming more important
Because of decline in class based voting
What is governing competence
The extent to which a government is regarded as having been capable and competent - if viewed as having failed the public will change their vote
Outline governing competence in 3 successful governemts
1959 economic prosperity and wider availability of consumer
goods helped to increase McMillian conservative majority. McMillian’s calm sense and how he took advantage of rising living standards claiming most of our people have never had it so good gave voters reason to change government
1966 after 2 years Wilsons labour government still looked focused and energetic, industrial unrest was limited he called a snap election as he faced an unknown opposition leader and increased his majority
1983 even though unemployment levels were high Thatchers conservative government brought down inflation fulfilling its manifesto , her leadership during Falkland’s was and unity of her cabinet reinforced the positive reputation
