short term influences

party leadership

voters asses leaders’ competency, charisma, and trustworthiness. A strong leader can overcome weak policy; a weak leader can undermine a strong party

example of strong party leadership

tony blair vs john major (1997)

‘ cleggmania’ in the 2010 TV debates

issue voting

voters decide based on which party they belive has the best policieson key salient issues

• NHS, cost of living, taxation

example of issue voting

• 1979 → labour’s perceived failure on economic policy and industiral relationsh (winter of discontenet)

• 2019 → brexit dominated often overriding traditional loyalties

valence issues

a non-controversial ussye everyne agrees on 

• e.g. a good economu, low crime

governing competency

the voter’s judgement of which party is best at delivering on these

example of voting based on governing competency

1997 → voters beleives labour under blaire was more competent and modern that the tired consevrative government (tory sleaze)

example of valence issues

2010 → public discontent over the finaical crises and expenses scandal

economic voting

voting based on the perfomrance of the national economy or one’s personal economic well-being

example of economic voting

government is often pubnished for poor economic