Unit 1 Assessment (continued)DO NOWIn pairs, discuss the implications of David Cameron’s statement that he will not serve a third term as Prime Minster. What led Cameron to make this statement? What are the historical parallels to his decision? What could it mean for the Conservative Party? What could it mean for the country? In what ways and to what extent could it influence the General Election? Be ready to feed back to the class.

Easter intervention

• Tuesday, March 24th 10am-11.30am

• Friday, April 10th 12pm-1.30pm

Policy makingUntil the late 1990s, Conservative Party policy was largely determined by the leaders of the day. Although the party leader was expected to canvass the views of senior colleagues on the front benches, the 1922 Committee, party elders and the grassroots membership, it was an unashamed top-down process. As John Major famously said of the party’s 1992 general election manifesto: “It was all me.”In 1998 the system appeared to have been democratised somewhat as part of William Hague’s ‘Fresh Future’ initiative. This process saw the creation of a national Policy Forum, alongside a number of other initiatives ostensibly aimed at enhancing participation within the party. Critics argue that these changes have been more style than substance.

Adapted from Lynch and Fairclough (2013)

1. Explain the term participation as used in the extract. (5)2. Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider the extent to which

ordinary members can influence Conservative Party policy. (10)3. ‘Ideological and policy differences within both the Conservative and the Labour

parties are now greater than the differences between them.’ Discuss. (25)

Rational choice voting

• According to this model voters base their choice of party upon the record of the main parties, particularly in terms of the economy.

• Rational choice theory implies that voters believe there is little ideological difference between the main parties. As such, a rational voter merely chooses which party (s)he feels best represents their (and their family’s) interests.

Rational choice voting?

• A student voting for the Liberal Democratic Party in 2010

• An old-age pensioner voting Conservative in 2010

• A trainee nurse voting for the Conservative Party in 2015

• A tax accountant voting for the Labour Party in 2015

Issues-based voting

• This model suggests that voters base their choice upon which party deals most effectively with the issues that (s)he cares most about.

• All political parties focus their campaigns on issues they believe to be their strongest cards. Generally speaking, the Labour party will focus upon health and education, whereas the Conservatives will emphasise issues such as tax, immigration and law and order.

• With declassification and the decline in party identification, the issue-based model has become more persuasive in recent years.

How can issues-based voting help us explain current election forecasts?