Voting models 20 marker

Question 1

Sociological model

Answer 1

This model argues that voting behaviour is influenced by long term factors primarily social class. Usually parties explicitly appeal to different classes such as labour and the working class, conservatives and the upper class.
Eg- in 2015 45% of abc1 voters voted for conservatives and 27% of C2DE.

Question 1

Sociological model irrelevance

Answer 1

Due to class dealignment which happened due to fa tors such as the reconfiguring of the new employment sector is Britain and the improved access to education for the working class which led to less extreme opposites of wealthy and the working class.
Eg- in 2019 47% of C2DE voted conservatives and 34% voted for labour.

Question 2

Rational choice model

Answer 2

Is relevant because voter use party manifestos to inform their vote (go on to explain further)
Eg- in 2019 the conservatives manifesto pledged to get Brexit done, then their part went on to win 365 seats in the election.

Question 3

Rational choice irrelevance

Answer 3

May be less relevance as people don’t vote rationally on the basis of party loyalty (explain further).
Eg- only 12% of voters in 2017 said they didn’t identify with any specific party

Question 4

Party identification model

Answer 4

Many people still, tend to vote specifically for one Party due to party loyalty and early attachment.
Eg- in the 2015 election 67% of votes were toward just labour and conservatives.

Question 5

Party identification irrelevance

Answer 5

Due to rise of floating voters who vote concerning an issue they believe- so smaller parties who promote specific issues become more appealing for some.
Eg- in 2010 a Lib Dem and conservative coalition was agreed as neither won enough seats for a majority.