CULTURAL

• in the Uk a political tradition of parliamentary sovereignty means that voters are more likely to acquiesce to politicians in making decisions for them and being less inclined towards direct democracy
• In the US, culture is very strongly influenced by liberalism, so voters are often critical of big governments and favour free markets and individual liberties
• in the USA there is a strong political tradition of constitutionalism and this is taught in all aspects of life. Voters are therefore very aware of constitutional matters and are engaged with them
• politicians will seek to maximise their votes by targeting specific groups, such as older, white, rural and religious voters, or trying to prevent other groups from voting at all by making changes to voter ID requirements
• politicians in the UK will be keen to seize on a political agenda if it is seen to benefit them, regardless of their own values or ideological position
• in the UK where socialism was a dominant ideology among the working class, there tends to be continued support for social welfare programs
• we can use this theory to look at how people acquire certain political attitudes and beliefs
• in the UK, social class and income can be seen to affect how voters behave. in northern post-industrial constituencies where there is high unemployment, attitudes to immigration are often more negative than in big cities