Voting Behaviour & Media

Question 1

What are short term influences on voting behaviour?

Answer 1

• Party performance
• Electoral campaign
• Party leaders
• Media
• Political events

Question 2

What are the long term sociological factors on Voting Behaviour?

Answer 2

• Class
• Gender
• Race
• Culture
• Religion
• Age
• Education
• Housing tenure
• Partisan alignment

Question 3

Class Alignment ?

Answer 3

Where votes reflect class

Question 4

Class Dealignment?

Answer 4

Where class doesn’t reflect votes

Question 5

What are the social grades ?

Answer 5

• AB - Upper middle/middle class
• C1 - Lower middle class
• C2 - Skilled working class
• DE - Working class

Question 6

Examples of Class Alignment ?

Answer 6

ABC1 vote CON and from 1974 - 92 they won +50% of votes and up until 2024 CON win

Question 7

Example of Class Dealignment ?

Answer 7

In 2024, LAB won higher % of votes than CON

C2 have a split between LAB and CON

Question 8

What are examples of age having an impact on voting behaviour?

Answer 8

• Young people vote labour - 40% of men and 42% of women aged 18-24 in 2024
• Old people vote conservative - 41% of men and 42% of women aged over 65 in 2024

Question 9

Example of age not impacting voting behaviour?

Answer 9

• Labour’s policies are more aimed at young people - LGBT, environment and equal rights
• Conservative’s policies aimed at old people - winter fuel allowance and pension increase

Question 10

Example of Gender not having an impact on voting behaviour ?

Answer 10

23% of male and 26% of females voted conservatives in 2024

Question 11

Examples that Ethnicity does affect votes ?

Answer 11

• BME vote LAB (2017 = 65%)
• BME dont vote CON (2017 = 21%)
• 2024 LAB won 53% over CON’s 14%
• LAB won across all age groups in 2024

Question 12

Examples that Ethnicity does not affect votes ?

Answer 12

• Class may be the true reason as more BME voters are lower class
• Sikh and Hindu are more likely middle class and vote CON
• BME vote is going to other parties like greens and doesnt fit the trend
• BME vote depends on party policy (41% of P/B say LAB on Gaza impacts their vote)

Question 13

Example that Region does affect Voting Behaviour ?

Answer 13

• CON do well in south as more people are upper class (54% in 2019)
• LAB do well in North and in Cities where there are more working class people

Question 14

Examples that Region does not affect Voting Behaviour ?

Answer 14

• Region is often linked to Class and so is region really a factor ( 2019 : CON = 54% in SE )
• LAB dominance in cities links to diversity so is ethnicity the factor at play (2019 : 48.1% in London )
• Lib Dem areas impacted after 2011 coalition so is policy the factor at play ( SW : 34.7% in 2010 to 15.1% in 2015)

Question 15

Rational Choice Model ?

Answer 15

Voters decide where to cast their vote based on issues of the day and the party image

Valence or Issue

Question 16

Valence Model ?

Answer 16

Where people vote based off the image of the party’s stability, leader, unity

Question 17

Issue Model ?

Answer 17

Where people vote based off the party’s policies and solutions to issues of the day

Question 18

Factors affecting voting in 2019 election ?

Answer 18

Party Policy :
- Tories seen to be pro leave and won 74% of leave voters
- Labour seen to be pro remain but only won 49% of remain voters

Question 19

Factors affecting voting in 2024 election ?

Answer 19

Party Policy :
- 82% of people voted for Reform based on immigration policy

Tactical Voting :
- ‘Best for Britain’ urged tactical voting to beat Tory candidates