voting behaviour

Define voting behaviour

The study of how and why individual make decisions in elections

What are long term influences?

• social class

• Age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity

• Partisan alignment

How does social class have an impact on voting behaviour?

Traditionally working class voters supported Labour and middle and upper class voters leaned Conservative. No longer dominant though post war period

How does protected characteristics have an impact on voting behaviour?

These demographic characteristics shape political identity and voting tendencies e.g. younger voters lean towards progressive parties

How does partisan alignment have an impact on voting behaviour?

Loyalty to a political party, can be through community or family, can strongly influence voting

What do long term influences align to?

Primacy model of voting - assumes stability and continuity over time

What do short term influences align to?

Recency model - voting as volatile and sensitive to the political climate

What are the short term influences?

• party leader ship

• Key issues

• Economy

• Media & campaign

• Tactical voting

Define valence issues

Universally important issues to voters and which party is trusted to deliver it effectively

What is an example of a valency issue?

Support for the NHS

Define rational choice theory

People vote based on cost-benefit calculation - what best serves their self-interest or gives them the greatest overall benefit

Define issue voting

When people base their vote on specific political issues rather than party loyalty or leader image

What are the impacts of class on voting behaviour?

• class and traditional voting patterns

• Class dealignment and modern trends

• Class related concepts

Describe class dealignment and why

Traditional class based voting has weakened over the decades

• decline of industrial jobs

• Globalisation, cultural shifts and regional politics often override class concerns

• Greater electoral volatility as voters no longer view themselves n fixed class groups

How has class polarisation impacted voting behaviour?

When social inequalities deepen, wealthier voters lean Conservative while lower-income groups support Labour

How does embourgeoisement impact voting behaviour?

Upward mobility (e.g. skilled workers) aligning working class individuals with Conservative values

Why might class still matter in voting behaviour?

• parties often frame campaigns around class concerns - e.g. 2024 Labour’s taxing private schools appealed to working class fairness

• When tied with other identities (e.g. age), class can still shape voting blocs

How does age impact voting behaviour?

• age cleavage reflects cultural and economic divides

• Younger people tend to be more socially liberal - housing/tuition fees

• Older voters more concerned with pensions, immigration and stability

How did gender affect the 2019 general election?

• conservatives had a slight male advantage (48% male vs 43% female)

• Labour were stronger among women

• Woken were marginally likely to support the Lib Dem’s and Greens

What are some regional influences?

• north/south divide

• Urban vs rural

• Scotland/wales/northern ireland

How does the north/south divide impact voting behaviour?

• 2024, Labour swept the north and midlands and urban centres like London

• Conservatives had votes in rural south and affluent commuter belt areas

• ‘Red Wall’ of northern seats nice solidly Labour but lost to the Conservatives in 2019 largely swung back to Labour

What does voter turnout signal?

Key indicator of political engagement and the publics confidence in the democratic process

What has attributed to the voter turnout drop from the 1990s?

• voter apathy

• Political disillusionment

• Perception that elections were less competitive

What was the turnout in the 2024 General Election and why?

• Turnout = ~60% (decline from 2019)

• Public disillusionment - dissatisfaction from Conservatives and loss of political trust

• Election fatigue - disengagement from many elections and referendums

• Demographic variations - younger voters had lowest turnout c

What shapes voters apathy and disengagement in a low runout of UK elections?

• lack of impact - safe seats leaders voters to feel their votes don’t matter

• Distrust in politicians - scandals n and unmet promises erode confidence

• Generational ad economic disparities - younger and disadvantaged voters feel disconnected from mainstream politics thus lower participation

Define voters hapathy

Apathy because things are going well

Define floating voters

Individual who are not strongly loyal to any political party, making their decisions based on current issues than long-term allegiance

Define swing voters

• critical subset of floating voters

• Concentrated in marginal constituencies who play a decisive role in electoral outcomes

Define salient issues

Political issues that are of particular importance or relevance to voters, therefore have a strong influence on their voting decisions

Under the rational choice model, what issues would voters consider for elections?

• valence issues

• Salient issues

• Track record

• Election manifesto

• Leaders and party image

How does track record impact voting behaviour?

The past performance or actions of a political party can make voters consider their competence

How does election manifesto affect voting behaviour?

Often the media will focus on the more controversial/divisive policies which can harm a party’s public perception

How does leader and party image impact voting behaviour?

Public perception of political leaders can influence voters opinions and choice.

• modern age media has made image a very important thing

Define spatial model

A theoretical framework that represents political ideologies and party positions along a one-dimensional ideological spectrum

Define the Overton window

Range of subjects and arguments politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time

Define the voting context model

• sits very closely with the rational choice model

• Model explains how and why voting decisions vary according to the differing nature of elections

Define tactical voting

Strategic voting behaviour where people vote for a party/candidate to prevent the election of a less preferred party

Define protest voting

Individuals cast their vote as a form of protest or to express dissatisfaction with the political system

Define by elections

Elections held to fill a vacant seat in a legislative body, often occurring between general elections

Define opinion polls

Surveys conducted to measure public opinion on political issues or to predict the outcome of an election

Define bandwagon effect

Phenomenon where the success of a party influences others to support them

Define boomerang effect

Phenomenon where negative campaigning on a party result in increased support for them

What are the benefits of campaigning in voting behaviour?

• provides a platform for parties to communicate their policies

• High profile events like debates can significantly influence floating voters

What are the disadvantages of campaigning?

• structural factors like state of economy often outweigh the immediate impact of a campaign

• Campaign influence is free context dependent and secondary to broader political and economic realities