Voting behaviour and the media Flashcards
What are social factors?
class, age, gender, ethnicity, geographic region
What impact do social factors have on social factors?
Positions target policies to key groups in order to win an election
What is AB classification?
higher professional occupations
What is C1 classification?
professional occupation
What is C2 classification?
skilled manual occupation
What is DE classification?
semi-skilled, unskilled and unemployed
What classes mostly vote conservative?
AB and C1
What classes mostly vote labour?
C2 and DE
What are floating voters?
voters who are aware of the candidates but lack any party anchoring
What classes tend to be floating voters?
C1 and C2
What classes do parties aim their manifesto towards and why?
C1 and C2, floating voters
% of DE voting for labour in 2017?
59%
% of DE voting for labour in 2019?
39%
% of AB who voted conservative in 2019?
45%
What is class dealignment?
Where people no longer vote according to their social class
Who do Liberal Democrat’s appeal to with their c- policy?
adopts centrist policy’s - appeals to a wider class base in the centre of society
In which election was social class replaced as a key factor of voting behaviour? and why
2019 general election - conservative commitment to brexit
In 2019 what classes voted 41-47% conservative?
all - AB, C1, C2,DE
Why is new labour more successful?
Prioritised AB and C1 voters
Turnout of DE voters in 2019 GE?
53%
Turnout of DE voters in 2019 GE?
53%
Turnout of DE voters in 2019 GE?
53%
Turnout of AB voters in 2019 GE
68%
Example of consistant support across all classes
Green Party - 2015 GE - all classes between 3/4%
3 reasons why social class does still matter in uk elections
- regional voting reflects wealth and poverty
- voters identity with a party based on social classes
- manifestos designed with social class in mind
3 reasons why social class does not matter in uk elections
- major issues are irrespective of class (brexit)
- working class decline making it less of an electoral force
- modern parties have to appeal to all classes to be successful
What are core voters?
Voters who will invariably support or other of the main parties
What is partisan dealignment?
The idea that people are less committed or loyal to one particular party
What is rising p- d-
partisan dealignment
Example of targeted votes for women
Labour 2015 - woman to woman pink mini bus which visited 75 constituencies to encourage more women to vote
Example of little gender gap in voting
2019 general election labour - 31% men and 34% women
Why have women traditionally voted conservative?
Social role - seen as the party of housewives which sought to keep prices low so women could run effective homes
Why have women traditionally not voted labour?
working class - men - social roles
When was the collapse of Britain’s industrial force?
1990’s
What did labour do following the collapse of Britain’s industrial base?
Consider a greater range of issues
What e- is more widespread across the country
Education
Example of more of the population accessing higher education after leaving school
2017 - 50%
Example of people with a degree more likely to vote..
Labour - 47% in 2017
Example: % of people with no formal qualifications to vote…
Labour, 23%
More education Education has led to more support for - from working class areas
Conservative
Example - % of 18-24 year olds to vote conservative inc election yr
2019 - 21%
Example - % of 65+ year olds to vote conservative inc election yr
2019 - 57%
Why is age the dividing line in voting behaviour?
Britain’s shifting economic position
What is the shift in economics? refer to jobs
service based jobs to office based jobs
3 other reasons why younger people tend to vote labour other than the change in industy
- more progressive
- as people age they acquire more assets
- fewer responsibilities - with age become more cautious
Due to low turnout of the younger age category, appealing to the older generation is more successful - give an example of this
2015 - Ed Miliband proposed to scrap uni fees but limit pension inc - lost election
What is BAME?
Black Asian and Minority Ethnic
2019 BAME election results for labour and conservative
Labour - 64%, Conservative - 20%
Why may BAME favour labour? Refer to labour and conservative actions
historically, immigrants from BAME backgrounds were employed in cities - natural allies of the Labour Party + conservative traditionally anti-immigration
Example of traditional conservatives anti immigration approach
Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood Speech’
What social class is BAME mostly proportional? And how does this impact how they vote
C2 and DE = labour
What region of the uk in wealthier
South east
What region of the uk are in great deprivation?
Southwest and north east of England
Example - % of voter in the North of England who voted labour - inc year
2017 - 53%
Example - % of voters in the South of England who voted labour - inc year
2017- 29%
Example - % of voter in London who voted labour - inc year
2017 - 55%
What election did voting shift in regional areas? and why?
2019 - brexit
Example - what election was the turnout of 18-24 year olds -%
2019 - 47%
Example - what election was the turnout of 65+ year olds -%
2019 - 74%
3 reasons why young people don’t vote
- apathy
- alternative ways of participation - protests, petitions, media
- abstention
What is apathy?
lack of interest
What is Abstention?
does not vote because they feel no party is worthy of their support
Turnout of 16 and 17 year olds in 2014 Scottish referendum
75%
3 reasons why individuals cast their vote as they do (voting theories)
- valence
- rational choice
- issue-based
What is valence voting?
chose to vote based on the party or candidate who will run the country the best
What do valence voters focus on when looking at the governments competence?
Economy
Example of valence
2008 economic crash and allow large government debt - labour blamed
Example of a weak leader - valence
Ed Miliband perceived as weak in 2015 GE
What is rational choice voting?
What is in the voters best interest
What do rational choice voters focus on? (2)
manifestos and what party will govern the best
What is issue voting and e.g?
voting on a important single issue - brexit
Issue based voting may n- impact the voter, however they do it for the common good
negatively
3 factors effecting individual voting
- manifestos
- party leader
- tactical voting
Labour Party 2019 manifesto e,g
Abolish tuition fee for university students
What is the benefit of precise manifestos?
clear for the electorate to convince them it is in their rational interest
Link between valence and manifestos
Delivering on your manifesto = valence
What does a manifesto establish? M-
Mandate
What is a mandate?
Authority to implement its manifesto
2 positive impacts of a mandate
- strengthens government - winning party gains legitimacy for its policies
- hold gov to account with manifesto
2 negative impacts of a mandate
- circumstances change - e.g COVID-19
- manifesto may be vague
- coalition makes it unclear
- voters may not agree to entire manifesto but mandate authorises all
Example of party leaders popularity not matching election results
1979 -Labour James Callaghan was 20% more popular than thatcher in opinion polls but still lost
T.V - 2017
yes
1. 2017
2. Theresa May didn’t show up to the tv debate and this made her look weak
Opinion polls - 2019
yes
1. 2019
2. Showed that the results were close
3. influenced peoples urgency to vote
3. conservatives won
social media -2017
no
1.2017
2. Daddy why do you hate me?
3. funny but didn’t change peoples perspective
Print media - 2010
- 2010
- MPs expenses
- made people question the legitimacy of the parliament and changed the system
