EDEXCEL A-LEVEL POLITICS 2026 PAPER 1: CORE
POLITICAL IDEAS | COMPLETE REVISION NOTES AND
EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Tactical voting
In safe seats, tactical voting does not affect the outcome
Voting for a 2nd place party does not guarantee they will win, some 3rd parties win
1997, tactical voting cost the conservatives 48 seats
Before 2001/2005, vote 'trading' websites were appearing
Turnout
Until 1997, the percentage of eligible voters casting their votes has been relatively stable, at
between 72 and 83.9%
In 2001, turnout was 59.4%
Reasons why people many not vote
Voter mobility
Apathy (only 37% of young people voted in 2005)
Boredom
Class
Dealignment and party identification
,Protest voting
A protest vote is designed to register disapproval of a party that is normally supported by a
voter
In 2005, lib dems benefitted from protest voting by labour supporters
2005 protest vote party
Passive abstainers
little to no interest in politics, often called apathetic, they can't be bothered to vote as politics
doesn't affect them
Active abstainers
interested in politics but choose not to vote for political reasons (disagreement, disapproval,
lack of choice)
1979 general election - seats won
labour: 269
conservative: 339
lib dem: 11
1979 general election - male votes
labour: 40%
conservative: 43%
lib dem: 13%
,1979 general election - female votes
labour: 35%
conservative: 47%
lib dem: 15%
1979 general election - 18-24
labour: 41%
conservative: 42%
lib dem: 12%
1979 general election - 55+
labour: 38%
conservative: 47%
lib dem: 13%
1979 general election - ABC1
labour: 24%
conservative: 59%
lib dem: 15%
, 1979 general election - DE
labour: 49%
conservative: 34%
lib dem: 13%
1979 general election - key issues
labour looked weak as was a minority
inflation and unemployment increasing after WWII
1978-9 winter of discontent strikes
1979 general election - conservative newspapers
the sun
daily express
daily mail
telegraph
times
sun
1979 general election - labour newspapers
daily mirror
guardian
POLITICAL IDEAS | COMPLETE REVISION NOTES AND
EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Tactical voting
In safe seats, tactical voting does not affect the outcome
Voting for a 2nd place party does not guarantee they will win, some 3rd parties win
1997, tactical voting cost the conservatives 48 seats
Before 2001/2005, vote 'trading' websites were appearing
Turnout
Until 1997, the percentage of eligible voters casting their votes has been relatively stable, at
between 72 and 83.9%
In 2001, turnout was 59.4%
Reasons why people many not vote
Voter mobility
Apathy (only 37% of young people voted in 2005)
Boredom
Class
Dealignment and party identification
,Protest voting
A protest vote is designed to register disapproval of a party that is normally supported by a
voter
In 2005, lib dems benefitted from protest voting by labour supporters
2005 protest vote party
Passive abstainers
little to no interest in politics, often called apathetic, they can't be bothered to vote as politics
doesn't affect them
Active abstainers
interested in politics but choose not to vote for political reasons (disagreement, disapproval,
lack of choice)
1979 general election - seats won
labour: 269
conservative: 339
lib dem: 11
1979 general election - male votes
labour: 40%
conservative: 43%
lib dem: 13%
,1979 general election - female votes
labour: 35%
conservative: 47%
lib dem: 15%
1979 general election - 18-24
labour: 41%
conservative: 42%
lib dem: 12%
1979 general election - 55+
labour: 38%
conservative: 47%
lib dem: 13%
1979 general election - ABC1
labour: 24%
conservative: 59%
lib dem: 15%
, 1979 general election - DE
labour: 49%
conservative: 34%
lib dem: 13%
1979 general election - key issues
labour looked weak as was a minority
inflation and unemployment increasing after WWII
1978-9 winter of discontent strikes
1979 general election - conservative newspapers
the sun
daily express
daily mail
telegraph
times
sun
1979 general election - labour newspapers
daily mirror
guardian
