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Voting behaviour and the Media
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Detailed, thorough notes on Voting Behaviour and the Media based on the suggested Edexcel A-Level textbook
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Voting behaviour and the MediaDefinitions:
Manifesto: the document in which a political party details what actions and programmes it intends to
introduce if it is successful in the next election - a set of promises for future action
Mandate: the authority to govern, which a government derives from an election victory. This means that it
has the right to introduce its policies as stated in its manifesto. It also allows it to take decisions on other
issues as they arise during its term of office, which could not have been foreseen when the manifesto was
produced.
Class dealignment: the process where individuals no longer identify themselves as belonging to a certain class
and fail to make a class connection with their voting choice
Partisan dealignment: the process where individuals no longer identify themselves on a long-term basis by
being associated with a certain political party
Disillusion: disappointment from discovering something is not good as one believed it to be; for example,
having no confidence in politics and politicians as being able to solve issues and make a difference
Apathy: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern; for example, not caring about political activity, as
manifested in low turnout at elections and poor awareness of contemporary events
Government competency: the perceived ability of the government party in office to manage the affairs of
state effectively. It also applies to how voter regard the potential competency of an opposition party, if it
were to win office
Case studies of three key general elections:
The elections held in 1979, 1997 and 2010 are regarded as critical turning points in post-war politics. A number of
aspects including the impact of party policies, the manifesto and the techniques parties used in their election
campaigns explain the outcomes. Wider context like the state of the economy, the public image of party leaders,
and the assessment that voters make of the government's record may also play an important role in determining
the result.
1979
initiated 18 years of Conservative rule (Thatcher until 1990, Major until 1997)
called after Callaghan's minority government lost a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons
Thatcher's majority modest, increased in 1983 and 1987
Labour's decent into a prolonged left/right infighting over policy until reinvention of the party under Tony
Blair
turnout: 76%, majority: 43
Party Number of seats Increase/loss of seats % of popular vote
Conservatives 339 +62 43.9
Labour 269 -50 36.9
Liberal 11 -2 13.8
Both the Labour and Conservative manifestoes were notable for their moderation of party policies and manifesto.
Both gave high priority to bringing down inflation. Callaghan resisted pressure for more extreme proposals from
his party's left wing. Thatcher's policy contained little indication that she intended to move her party to the right;
whilst there was mention of returning recently nationalised industry to private hands and removing some trade
, union powers, there was no suggestion of radical change - Callaghan had little credibility when he warned the
electorate of a lurch the right if the Conservatives won.
The Conservatives adopted many of the techniques of modern advertising (under specialist Gordon Reece and
Tim Bell). The Labour campaign lacked awareness of finer points of presentation, whereas Thatcher took
advantage of the invention of photo opportunities. The real impact of the campaign is hard to measure; the
Conservatives outpaced Labour in opinion polls but, due to respect for his experience, Callaghan was 20 points
ahead on who would make the better prime minister. Thatcher turned down the offer of a televised debate
wisely, which would have highlighted Callaghan's experience.
The real reason for Thatcher's victory was the weakness of the Labour government. Despite Callaghan's personal
popularity, there was no doubt the Conservatives would win. Callaghan's government was a minority
administration, which was very vulnerable to defeat in the Commons. Callaghan also mistimed the election; the
winter of discontent and the government's attempt to impose a 5% limit of pay increases collapsing as a series of
strike created a sense of national paralysis. Callaghan failed to control militant trade unions, and this allowed the
media to show images of a miserable, strike-bound Britain. When the Sun accused him of being out of touch
following his Caribbean island summit meeting he remarked, 'Crisis? What Crisis?'; this because an irresistible
theme for the Conservatives. It was clear that the country needed a new direction and a government that could
grapple with the economic and social breakdown. The election was triggered by a withdrawal of support for the
government by nationalist parties, forcing Callaghan to go to the country at the worst possible time for his party.
1997
landslide victory of New Labour, opened the way to 13 years of Labour government
Tony Blair was prime minister until 2007, succeed by Gordon Brown
Liberal Democrats emerged as a significant third force
Conservatives troubled by ongoing divisions, poor leadership and inability to appear relevant to
contemporary society
turnout: 71.4%, majority: 179
Party Number of seats Increase/loss of seats % of popular vote
Labour 416 +145 432
Conservative 165 -178 30.7
Liberal 46 +28 16.8
Tony Blair drove forward the policy of modernisation. The 'New Labour' project abandoned old fashion policies
(e.g. nationalisation, tax increases and the strengthening of trade unions) which might put off middle-class voters,
but instead gave off touch signals on law and order, and emphasised links to the business community. Labour won
the endorsement of the greater part of the press including the Sun and the Times. The message was that the New
Labour was a moderate party. To show how responsible the party was, it used its 1997 platform to stress specific
policy details where it promised to make a difference (e.g. reducing the size of primary school class and cutting
hospital waiting lists). Also, Blair's emphasis on constitutional reform gave it common ground with the Liberal
Democrats, making it easier for Liberal Democrats to tactfully vote for Labour in marginal seats, possibly adding
30 seats to Labour's majority.
New Labour placed a huge emphasis on developing a professional election campaign, employing public relation
experts to handle the media and using focus groups to assess public opinion and target marginal seats. However,
the importance of Labour's campaign should not be exaggerated as Labour's share of the vote increased by 12.5%
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