Elections and Voters in Britain

Description

How do voters in Britain decide which party to vote for in elections? Why do smaller parties get more support than they used to? How do the mass media influence political opinions? The authors examine these and other questions in the third edition of this popular text. They trace the evolution of the British electorate over the post-war period, and focus in particular on recent elections - from Labour's victories in the 2000s through to the hung parliament of 2010. As well as examining and explaining theories of party choice - including the view that voters' evaluations of government performance and party leaders are now the key determinants of election outcomes - the authors also devote separate chapters to turnout trends and patterns, electoral systems and the geography of party support. Campaigning, opinion polls and the mass media are also considered. Fully revised, the text incorporates the latest research on elections and voting behaviour, and includes analysis of recent trends and developments - including how 'new media' are affecting election campaigning.

DAVID DENVER Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of Lancaster, UK. CHRISTOPHER CARMAN Senior Lecturer in Government in the School of Government and Public Policy, University of Strathclyde, UK. ROBERT JOHNS Senior Lecturer in Politics in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, UK.

'This is a necessary book for undergraduate and postgraduate students of British electoral studies and is recommended without a hint of reservation.' - Craig Johnson, Political Studies 'The new version of this popular text has been brought fully up-to-date and students are provided with an excellent, very readable introduction to British elections. It remains a 'must read' for all courses on contemporary British politics.' - Ron Johnston, University of Bristol, UK 'Once again, an excellent introduction to British electoral politics. The intelligent combination of empirical and theoretical material makes this ideal reading for a broad audience, from those approaching the subject for the first time to established scholars.' - Geoffrey Evans, University of Oxford, UK Reviews of previous editions: 'For anyone studying elections and voters...this is an essential purchase...Denver observes that his text is not intended for academic colleagues...but I have a suspicion that many of his peers will be using the text to bring themselves up to speed regarding questions that they were too embarrassed to ask.' - Michael Thrasher, Parliamentary Affairs 'Excellent...Informative, concise and lucid; the best exposition of modern debates and explanations regarding voting behaviour.' - Jonathan Tonge, University of Salford, UK '...an overall summary of the work of specialists in electoral analysis...Recommended.' - M. Curtis, Choice 'This is a wonderful textbook that can be recommended without reservation as a core text for undergraduate... as a very useful introductory text for postgraduate students...Denver has the enviable knack of finding just the right way to explain complex issues to the non-expert reader...' - John Bartle, Political Studies Review