Voting behaviour

• Abstention


  Deliberately not voting
• Apathy/Disillusionment


  Extent individuals become disengaged with politics
• Class dealignment


  Class dealignment refers to the diminishing influence of social class on an individual's choice of political party
• Core voters


  Voters consistently supporting a political party
• Deviant voting


  Peoples votes go against the norm or expectation
• Economic voting


  Theory voter behaviour is influenced by the conomic situation prior to the election
• Floating/Swing voter


  Voters without a strong party affiliation, determine the election outcome
• Governing competence

  Ability of a government to effectively and efficiently carry out its responsibilities and fulfill the electorates needs.
• Instrumental voting - voting behaviour where the people vote for a party out of self-interest and how will do the most benefit for themselves through policies
• Valence issues

  Topics tending to have widespread agreement among the public - key in obtaining swing vote favour.
• Region voting stats- 2017

  south England - 54% conservative

  Scotland - 37% SNP

  Wales plaid - Cymru and labour dominate

  North England - 54% labour, more economically depressed areas
• Turnout stats,

  1979 - 76% 1997 - 71% 2001 - 59% 2015 - 66%
• 2017 General election class turnout

  AB = 69%DE = 53%
• In 1992 the sun ran a fierce campaign against Labour and more specifically Neil Kinnock which changed the opinion polls from Labour lead to comfortable conservative majority.
• Factors affecting floating votes - short term

  valence - image of parties, leaders and their perceived competence

  Economic voting - parties management of economy and how it will perform

  Rational choice - how a party will effect them/community

  Issue voting - the importance of an issue and how the party will handle it

  Tactical voting - voting for least hated

  Party leaders - the competence of leaders

  Press - newspapers, campaigns and debates

  Opinion polls - can change tactical voting
• Class dealignment

  Thatcher was able to win 3 consecutive general elections by swinging votes from the working class by creating a 'new working class'

  Tony Blair also won three consecutive general elections by swinging significant middle class support.

  This was influenced by societal and economic change, declining affluence and less difference between classes.
• In 2019 22% of 18 - 29 year olds voted conservative whereas 60% of over 60 voted conservative
• Turnout among 60+ year olds is 25 percentage points more than 18 - 24 year olds.
• Political theorists may argue that as the population gets older, they are more likely to vote conservative to protect economic assets
• The theory that you are more likely to vote conservative as you grow older to protect economic assets has been largely untrue of the millenial generation.
• In 2019 42% of AB voters voted conservative compared to 76% in 1964.

  34% of DE voters voted labour in 2019 whereas in 1964 it was 64%
• During the Brexit referendum, 75% who didnt go to university voted to leave, while 75% who did go to university voted to stay.
• During the 2019 election, the conservative party won 58% of the vote among those who's highest level of education were GCSE's or lower
• In then 2019 election, 43% of those with a degree or higher voted for labour while just 29% voted conservative.
• 2019 election 20% of BME ( Black and minority ethnicity ) voters voted conservative, 64% voted labour.
• Polls show that 2/3 of people dont read manifestos and many make up their mind on who to vote for months before the election.
• Manifesto pledges dont have to be carried out, after 2010 election promises by the Lib Dems to scrap tuition fees were not carried out.