Short-term factors affecting voting behaviour
- Created by: wanjikar
- Created on: 21-04-23 13:43
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- Short-term factors affecting voting behaviour
- Rational choice theory
- voters make a decision based on which party will benefit them
- political parties then adapt policies to popular ones for the electorate
- Thatcher in 1979 election
- Blair for New Labour in 1997
- Valence
- people support the party which can deliver on issues they care about
- Voters are also concerned if they can trust a party to deliver those policies
- Valence can be summed up in three questions
- 1. Which party leader do I trust?
- 2. Which party do I trust to manage the economy?
- 3. Which party has been/will be most competent in government?
- Issue Voting
- voters make decisions on a range of issues by going through several key stages
- 1. Voters must be aware of the issue
- 2. Voters have an opinion on the issue
- 3. Voters must see a difference between the parties on the issue
- 4. Voters convert their preference into a vote for the party
- 3. Voters must see a difference between the parties on the issue
- 2. Voters have an opinion on the issue
- 1. Voters must be aware of the issue
- issue voting is problematic as it relies on political engagement from voters
- Doesn't explain voting patterns well
- in '87 and '92, Labour's policies were favoured but the Tories won
- voters make decisions on a range of issues by going through several key stages
- Governing competency
- an assessment of how effective a party has been in government
- control of events
- Major's govt lost power in '97 when voters felt they weren't in control
- policy
- The Thatcher govt stuck to its promises to change the economic model and was rewarded with electoral success
- party unity, strong leadership
- the Labour Party under Blair is an example of how voters rewarded the party with a clear vision and a united party
- Party leader
- the charisma and personality of party leaders is crucial to a party's success
- they are the 'brand' of their party
- E.G. '97 the young energetic, family man Blair was seen in stark contrast to Major
- voters were willing to vote for 'authentic' candidates
- the charisma and personality of party leaders is crucial to a party's success
- Economic management
- Voters are more likely to support a government if...
- its successfully managed the economy whilst in govt
- or thought to be able to deliver economic prosperity
- e.g. the '78 'winter of discontent' played a role in Thatcher's victory in '79
- e.g. the Tories were able to blame Labour under Brown for the '08 financial crisis
- Voters are more likely to support a government if...
- Rational choice theory
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