Summary of "Voting Behaviour and General Election Case Studies In A Level Politics | Everything You Need To Know"

Summary of Voting Behaviour and General Election Case Studies In A Level Politics | Everything You Need To Know

This comprehensive video by Ollie from Politics Explained covers key knowledge, concepts, case studies, and exam preparation tips related to voting behavior and general elections for A Level Politics students. The video is structured to cover the specification content, key debates, factors influencing election outcomes, detailed case studies of major UK general elections, and guidance on essay questions and answer structuring.

Main Ideas and Concepts

1. Overview of Specification Content

Voting behavior theories and determinants.
Key social/demographic factors influencing voting.
Long-term issue factors (rational choice, issue voting, valence factors).
Campaign factors (manifestos, media, election campaigns).
Case studies of general elections from 1979 to 2019 plus potential 2024 election factors.

2. Key Debates and Exam Questions

Evaluating the relative importance of media, social factors, campaigns, or issue voting in election outcomes.
Whether elections are lost by governments or won by oppositions.
Importance of specific social factors (age, education, class, region, ethnicity).
Suggested essay structures include paragraphs on media, social factors, campaigns, and issue factors with supporting case studies.

3. Traditional Determinants of Voting Behavior

Class and social status historically dominated voting patterns (working class Labour, middle/upper class Conservative).
Decline of class voting since the 1970s (class dealignment).
Partisanship also declined (partisan dealignment), with more swing voters and minor party support.
Voter apathy and turnout decline linked to weaker party attachments.

4. Social/Demographic Factors

Social factors predict but do not cause voting behavior; they interact with party policies and images.

Key social factors include:

Age: Older voters lean Conservative; younger voters lean Labour/Greens. Turnout is higher among older voters.
Education: Higher education correlates with Labour/Lib Dem support; lower education correlates with Conservative support.
Region: Traditional Labour strongholds in the North and cities; Conservatives dominate rural areas and the Southeast.
Ethnicity: Minority ethnic voters strongly support Labour, but turnout is lower.
Gender: Minor impact overall, with some differences among young voters.

The predictive power of social factors depends on party policy differentiation.

5. Long-Term Issue Factors

Rational Choice Theory: Voters act in self-interest, evaluating policies that benefit them economically.
Issue Voting: Voters choose parties based on key issues important to them (e.g., Brexit in 2019).
Valence Factors: Leadership qualities, competence, and party image become decisive when policy differences are minimal.
Wider Political/Social Context: Events such as economic crises, scandals, and national issues heavily influence election outcomes.

6. Campaign Factors

Campaign period lasts six weeks; includes manifestos, media appearances, and advertising.
Campaigns can influence undecided voters, but many have fixed preferences.
Manifestos provide policy outlines but may be distrusted if promises are broken.
Media coverage shapes public perceptions of parties and leaders.

7. Case Studies of General Elections

1979: Thatcher’s Conservatives win after Labour’s “Winter of Discontent.” Class voting still strong but beginning to decline. Economic context and perceived Labour incompetence were key factors.
1997: Blair’s New Labour wins a landslide by appealing to the middle class while maintaining working-class support. Leadership and media endorsements were crucial. Conservatives were damaged by economic incompetence and scandals.
2010: Coalition government formed. Leadership and economic context were important. Little policy difference among main parties. TV debates and media incidents noted.
2017: Theresa May loses majority; Corbyn gains youth support with anti-austerity policies. Campaign and leadership were important; class was less predictive.
2019: Johnson’s Conservatives win big on “Get Brexit Done.” Issue voting on Brexit was decisive. Corbyn was unpopular. Class realignment occurred with Conservatives winning traditional Labour “red wall” seats. Campaign was less impactful.

8. Potential Factors for 2024 Election

Political/economic context: Partygate scandal, COVID handling, cost of living crisis.
Leadership: Sunak’s unpopularity vs. Starmer’s rising approval.
Rational choice and issue voting: Starmer’s centrist shift may broaden appeal.
Social factors: Labour may regain traditional strongholds.

9. Exam Preparation and Essay Advice

Use case studies to illustrate points.
Structure essays with balanced paragraphs covering media, social factors, campaigns, issue voting, leadership, and political context.
Practice key questions such as:
- “Evaluate the view that media support is the most important factor.”
- “Evaluate the relative importance of demographic factors.”
- “Evaluate the extent to which campaigns influence election outcomes.”
- “Evaluate whether elections are lost by governments or won by oppositions.”

Methodology / Instructions for Exam Essays

Essay Planning:
- Identify the key factors relevant to the question.
- Organize paragraphs around these factors (e.g., media, social factors, campaigns, issue voting).
- Include evidence/examples from case studies.
- Provide balanced arguments (for and against).
- Conclude by weighing the relative importance of factors.
Key Essay Question Examples:
- Media support’s importance.
- Demographic factors’ impact.
- Campaign influence.
- Government loss vs. opposition win.
Use of Case Studies:
- Choose 3 relevant elections studied in class.
- Use them to illustrate different factors and outcomes.
- Show how factors interacted in each case.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Ollie (main presenter, Politics Explained YouTube channel)

This summary captures the key ideas, concepts, and lessons from the video, providing a structured overview of voting behavior theories, social and issue factors, campaign influences, and detailed UK general election case studies with exam-focused advice.