Voting Behaviour And The Media Flashcards
What is partisan dealignment?
The decline of class-based voting
When did partisan dealignment begin?
The 1970s
What happened in the 1979 general election?
After losing a vote of confidence in March 1979, Prime Minister James Callaghan called a general election.
Describe the government’s situation before the 1979 general election.
‘Industrial unrest undermined the government’s authority’.
The prime minister (James Callaghan) had high approval ratings, but he only managed to remain PM because of support from other parties.
In late 1978, James Callaghan decided not to call a general election (although Labour was ahead of the Conservatives in the opinion polls).
In the weeks after he made this decision, his government was greatly damaged by strikes by workers (industrial unrest). This was called Britain’s Winter of Discontent.
What did voters dislike about James Callaghan’s 1979 campaign to be re-elected as prime minister?
He apparently ‘denied’ that there was a crisis and some voters felt that he was ‘too optimistic’, and that he was underestimating the demand for pay from trade unions
What effect did the loss of votes (in 1979) for the Labour Party have for the Liberal Party?
The Liberal Party lost middle-class support because they had supported the PM
Which party had been in government before the 1997 general election? For how long?
18 years, the Conservatives :(
How were the Conservatives seen before the 1997 general election compared to the Labour Party?
The Conservatives were seen as incompetent, whereas Labour was seen as unified and had a 20% lead in most opinion polls
What percentage of the votes did the Conservatives win in the 1992 general election?
42%
Like seriously! Ban FPTP!!
When did John Major’s government first lose its reputation for economic competence? How?
1992; they abolished the European exchange rate mechanism. This caused a significant rise in interest rates, which cost mortgage owners a lot of money.
What else damaged John Major’s government’s reputation?
The Conservative Party was divided on EU-related issues, and many bills were difficult to get through the House of Commons.
What was the outcome of the 1997 general election?
Tony Blair defeated John Major
What were 5 things the Labour Party promised to do if it won the 1997 general election?
Cut class sizes to 30 or less for 5-7 year olds
Halve the time between arrest and punishment for persistent young offenders
Cut NHS waiting lists
Take 250,000 young people into work
Not raise income tax, VAT on fuel cut to 5%, interest rates and inflation kept as low as possible
What were two things that the Labour Party promised to do in 1997 that the Liberal Democratic Party agreed with, thus gaining the Labour Party votes?
Constitutional reform (devolution and reformation of the House of Lords)
Why was the 2017 general election called?
In the April of 2017, Theresa May announced that she would call a general election in June. As she had a massive lead in the opinion polls, it was expected that she would win a large majority.
