Assess the main factors which determine how voters discriminate between political parties at general elections

There are many factors that may affect voting behaviour; of which age, occupation, financial stability, gender, party records and place of residence are all important. However, the first, and possibly most important, is the party policies shown on the manifesto. Voters may often choose to vote instrumentally, to find the policies that suit them and their needs best. For example, an expansionary fiscal policy will often particularly appeal to those who are poorer, as they are more likely to want the Government to help create jobs and improve services so that they can gain a better grounding. Those unemployed would also find the appeal in these policies. (This would most likely be a Labour policy) Policies often come down to opinion and this is often implemented by a type of upbringing or personal experience.

Class used to be a factor in this, but after class dealignment happened in the late 1960s, embourgeoisement started to happen with the working class and there was partisan dealignment. This meant that political parties had to work harder to keep voters, so their policies had to be more widely aimed. Instead of just aiming to appeal to a poor working class or a rich upper class, these were just less obvious sets of people. The working class grew in affluence and they allied themselves less with Labour. New Labour responded to this by moving further right on the political spectrum, disassociating themselves with socialist, traditional Labour values. This was an ultimately successful attempt to win back people who used to support Labour; they overthrew a Conservative Government that had dominated for nearly 20 years.

The campaign prior to the election, general support, and leadership of a party can affect voting decisions. Gordon Brown in 2010 is a