Voting behaviour and the media

What is class alignment in voting behavior?

A theory suggesting that people vote based on their social class, with traditional voting patterns associated with specific classes.

How did class alignment change since the 1950s?

Class alignment was highest during the 1950s but has decreased over time, with blurred class identification and the rise of the aspirational middle class.

What significant political shift occurred in 1997 regarding class alignment?

Many Conservative voters from higher classes switched to vote for Tony Blair's Labour party.

What is partisan alignment?

The tendency of individuals to vote based on their emotional attachment to a political party, often linked to class alignment.

What trend is observed in the UK regarding class and partisan dealignment?

There is evidence of class and partisan dealignment, with voters increasingly considering short-term factors like party policies over emotional attachments.

How does location affect voting behavior in the UK?

Different regions show varying party strengths: Labour in London and major urban areas, Conservative in South and East England, and Labour/SNP in Scotland.

What is the voting trend by age in the UK?

Younger voters tend to favor Labour, while older voters are more likely to vote Conservative, reflecting a preference for radical change among the young and status quo among the old.

How has age impacted voting behavior from 1979 to 2024?

In 1979, age had little impact on voting, but by 2024, age became a significant factor, with a crossover in voting preferences occurring in the late-50s.

What is the general voting tendency of women and men in the UK?

Women tend to vote Conservative and men tend to vote Labour, although the margin is small, rarely exceeding 5%.

What voting behavior trend was observed between men and women in 2024?

In 2024, there was little difference in voting for the two main parties between men and women, but men were more likely to vote for Reform UK over the Lib Dems.

How do ethnic groups influence voting behavior in the UK?

Labour performs well with BAME voters, while the Conservatives have stronger support among white voters.

Rational Choice Theory

People vote rationally, based on which party or candidate will benefit them best. Voters carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the options and vote based on the parties that match their preferences and beliefs.

Valence

Valence is the idea that people trust parties and leaders to care about and deliver on the issues that the voter cares about. This could be down to trust in leadership, capability and importance of certain issues.

Issue salience

This is the idea that some issues are more important at certain elections. People will vote on the basis of their opinions on the big issues.

Leader of the party

If a party's leader is not charismatic and fresh, then they won't inspire people to vote for them.

Governing competency

This takes a range of factors of how a party has performed in previous governments and how effective they have been.

Economic management

Many distrusted Labour after the 2008 financial crisis.

Control of events

Theresa May lost huge numbers of votes in 2017 after poor management of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Policy

Thatcher's firm promise to stick to policy which paid off in the ballot box.

Party unity

Blair's Labour was seen as hugely united, and this saw huge increases in Labour votes under his leadership.

Personal competency

Many distrusted Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in the 2024 election after a number of scandals.

Brexit

In 2019, the Conservative Party had a very clear stance on Brexit, which saw them gain 43% of the vote.

Labour's messaging

Labour's confused messaging led to a subsequent loss of 8% of the vote in the 2019 general election.

Charismatic leadership

Boris Johnson was seen as a new leader with a fresh approach to politics for the 2019 General Election.

Polling deficits

Research has showed this is why the Conservatives have suffered polling deficits since 2022.

Trust in leadership

Valence can also refer to the lack of trust someone has in the ability of a party to deliver on issues.

Prominent issues

In the 2019 general election, the most prominent issue was Brexit, whereas the 2010 general election saw the economy as one of the standout issues.

Voter preferences

Successful parties adapt their manifesto pledges to match the public opinion of the day.

Election outcomes

The dynamics of leadership, policy, and public perception can significantly influence election outcomes.

What traditional print media were historically important for political persuasion?

Newspapers, particularly the Sun and Telegraph for Conservatives, and the Guardian and Daily Mirror for Labour.

What trend is observed in physical newspaper readership?

Physical newspapers are declining in readership, while online views are high.

How many readers did The Sun have in October 2021?

28.4 million readers.

What is a requirement for broadcast media in the UK?

Broadcast media must remain politically impartial and inform the public of political facts.

How is the BBC funded?

Through a license fee, which dates back to 1923.

What is the cost of a standard TV licence in the UK as of 2024?

£169.50 a year.

What is the consequence of watching live TV without a valid TV licence in the UK?

It is a criminal offence.

What percentage of British households are estimated to watch TV without a valid licence?

Around 6%.

What role has social media played in political engagement during the 21st century?

Politicians actively engage with the public through platforms like X and Instagram.

What phenomenon can result from consuming political information on social media?

'Echo-chambers', where individuals surround themselves with agreeing voices.

What are opinion polls used for in elections?

To ask a sample of people how they would vote, providing insights into voting behavior trends.

Which organization conducts the most accurate opinion polls on election day?

IPSOS Mori, which creates the Exit Poll.

What significant political outcomes were predicted by Exit Polls in 2010 and 2017?

A hung parliament.

What was the outcome predicted by Exit Polls in 2019?

A Conservative landslide.

What issue has arisen from the rise of social media in political discourse?

The prominence of 'fake news' and biased information.