Using source 1 evaluate the view that a persons age and the
media have now replaced social class and region as clear
indicators of voting behaviour.
The source debates the significance of different factors in
indicating voting behaviour. Whilst traditionally factors such as
social class and region have been clear indicators of voting
behaviour, it can also be said factors such as age and media
are becoming increasingly relevant in predicting how someone
will vote.
Traditionally, social class was a major factor in predicting voting
behaviour, and has ‘considerable influence’ on which party
people will vote for. In the past, Labour tended to receive the
majority of DE votes as the Conservatives targeted AB voters,
illustrating a clear pattern and divide when it comes to class
and voting behaviour. This is evident in 1964 election in which
Alec Douglas-Home, a Conservative, received 78% of AB
votes. This suggests class has previously been a significant
factor in how people vote, as a large majority of a particular
class seems to stay loyal to a particular party.
However, since the 1970s there has been a trend of partisan
dealignment, meaning people of a certain class no longer feel
attached to a certain political party, and other factors such as
current issues, influence their voting instead. This can be seen
in the 1979 election where Thatcher appealed to a number of
DE voters with policies such as selling off council houses,
controlling inflation and controlling trade unions, all being
promised just after the ‘winter of discontent’. This caused a 9%
swing from DE voters who had previously loyally voted for
Labour, illustrating people had begun to take current issues
into consideration rather than simply the party they had
traditionally voted for due to their class. More recently this
trend can be seen in the 2017 election, where Corbyn appealed
media have now replaced social class and region as clear
indicators of voting behaviour.
The source debates the significance of different factors in
indicating voting behaviour. Whilst traditionally factors such as
social class and region have been clear indicators of voting
behaviour, it can also be said factors such as age and media
are becoming increasingly relevant in predicting how someone
will vote.
Traditionally, social class was a major factor in predicting voting
behaviour, and has ‘considerable influence’ on which party
people will vote for. In the past, Labour tended to receive the
majority of DE votes as the Conservatives targeted AB voters,
illustrating a clear pattern and divide when it comes to class
and voting behaviour. This is evident in 1964 election in which
Alec Douglas-Home, a Conservative, received 78% of AB
votes. This suggests class has previously been a significant
factor in how people vote, as a large majority of a particular
class seems to stay loyal to a particular party.
However, since the 1970s there has been a trend of partisan
dealignment, meaning people of a certain class no longer feel
attached to a certain political party, and other factors such as
current issues, influence their voting instead. This can be seen
in the 1979 election where Thatcher appealed to a number of
DE voters with policies such as selling off council houses,
controlling inflation and controlling trade unions, all being
promised just after the ‘winter of discontent’. This caused a 9%
swing from DE voters who had previously loyally voted for
Labour, illustrating people had begun to take current issues
into consideration rather than simply the party they had
traditionally voted for due to their class. More recently this
trend can be seen in the 2017 election, where Corbyn appealed
