Voting Behaviour And The Media- Turnout And Electoral Outcomes Flashcards
Turnout
The percentage of the electorate that casts a vote.
Disillusion and apathy
Traits that force down levels of turnout. They may be the result of low esteem for the political class or a general lack of interest in politics and a suspicion that politics cannot change things for many people.
Why can the level of turnout can influence the outcome of an election?
because different demographic groups usually demonstrate different turnout levels.
General trend of youths voting patterns
The young tend to demonstrate greater levels of disillusionment and apathy
The 2015 and 2017 elections show the importance of turnout in determining general election outcomes:
+ In 2017 the so-called ‘youthquake’, an increase in turnout among young voters who were energised by the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, helped Labour reduce the gap between itself and the Conservative Party and may have denied Theresa May a parliamentary majority.
+ In 2015 higher turnout appeared to come from disillusioned Tories who
‘came back home’ after fears that Labour and the SNP would form a
‘coalition of chaos.
Factors that affect turnout
Closeness of election
The choice between two major parties
Silent issues
Factors that affect turnout
Closeness of election
The choice between two major parties
Silent issues
Example of
Factors that affect turnout:
Closeness of election
Many voters felt that the result of the 2001 general election was a foregone conclusion and Labour would win in another landslide. As a result, turnout fell to 59%. Yet in 1992, the closeness of the election saw a 78% turnout.
Example of
Factors that affect turnout:
The choice between the two major parties
In 2017 the Labour Party offered a radically different manifesto from the Conservative Party, which may have encouraged young people to vote in greater numbers.
Example of
Factors that affect turnout:
Salient issues
The issue of Brexit may have encouraged voters on both sides of the debate to vote for candidates and parties who supported their position, ensuring turnout in 2017 was the highest since 1997.
