general election case studies

• Class dealignment


  Process of individual no longer feeling like they are associated with a certain class, takes away from voting patterns in class
• Partisan dealignment


  Process of individuals no longer feeling associated with certain party, floating voters
• Governing competency


  Ability of the party in office to manage affairs of the state
• Disillusion and apathy


  Process of disengaging with political activities
• 1979 - Winner

  Margret Thatcher
• 1979 - Leaders

  • C - Thatcher
  • L - Callaghan
  • LB - David Steel
• 1979 - Seats won

  • 339 seats for C
• 1979 - Seat change from previous election

  • 62 seat change for C
• 1979 - % votes won

  • 43.9% for C
• 1979 - Swing from last election

  • 8.1% for C
• 1979 - Majority

  • 40 seat majority
• 1979 - Turnout

  • 76%
• 1979 - Turnout compared to previous election

  Improved by 3.2% from 72.8% to 76%
• 1979 - issues - The winter of Discontent

  Series of strikes, conservatives pledged to reform trade unions
• 1979 - issues - Economy

  High inflations, falling growth, wanted free market
• 1979 - leaders - James Callaghan

  • Seen as a safe pair of hands
  • More 'in touch with the common man'
  • Focused on centre ground
• 1979 - leaders - Margret Thatcher

  • Not universally liked
  • Seen as being out of touch
  • Problems with her as a woman
• 1979 - campaign - James Callaghan's campaign

  1. Used media to make appearances

  2. Low key 'steadying the ship'

  3. Problems with 'crisis, what crisis?'
• 1979 - campaign - Margret Thatcher's campaign

  1. Employed media specialist

  2. Wanted to show softer side

  3. Ran a respectful campaign
• 1979 - Margret Thatcher's media

  • Sartchi & Sartchi campaign poster
  • Has presidential style means leader is focused on more than the party
• 1979 - Newspaper bias and opinion polls play a role
• 1997 - WHO WON?

  Tony Blair - labour
• 1997 - leaders

  • Tony Blair - labour, John major - conservatives
• 1997 - seats won

  418 tories
• 1997 - seat change from previous election

  increase 146 seats from previous for labour, 178 decrease in seats for tories
• 1997 - % votes won

  43.2% labour, 30.7% tories
• 1997 - swing from last election


  8.8% increase labour, 11.2% decrease tories
• 1997 - majority


  88 seat majority
• 1997 - turnout compared…


  down by 6.4% from previous