This task links to the Course Assessment Specification (CAS): Theories of voting behaviour - rational choice model.

The rational choice model of voting behaviour is concerned with the way in which people may vote based on their own rational self-interest.

It treats voters as consumers who are choosing a party based on who they think will best improve their circumstances.

One of the key factors in this will be perceptions voters have about the economic competence of a political party which may include issues such as taxation rates and the ability to deal with the deficit.

For example, the Conservatives were seen as being more capable in dealing with public finances in the 2015 election than Labour.

This was one of the key factors that was attributed to the success of the Conservatives in winning this election.

This theory of voting behaviour focuses more on short-term factors, such as the economy.

The rational choice model tends to be more prevalent in countries where the electorate are more educated and have access to a wide range of media outlets.

Some psephologists argue that those who adhere to the rational choice model are more knowledgeable of issues and less likely to be influenced by family or other social networks.

This model is based on the idea that people will vote for who is most likely to make them better off. The state of the economy is one of the most important factors when looking at the rational choice model. The economy is a short-term factor as it changes from election to election. If the economy is doing well, it would be rational to vote for the party who is in charge when the economy is doing well.

Politicians have used this to their advantage. Both Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were accused of making a pre-election boom. If people have more money in their pockets and businesses are confident in the government keeping employment steady then people are more likely to vote for the incumbent to keep the economy going well. 

The rational choice model of voting behaviour assumes that people are motivated by money and by the possibility of making profit, and this has allowed it to construct formal, and often predictive models of human behaviour.

It is believed that as a result of this theory of voting behaviour political parties must work harder to secure modern voters' support as people are becoming less attached to certain political parties ensuring more ‘floating voters’.

Rational choice relates to the extent to which the role of judgment is placed on an individual to make a rational judgment on what party they should vote for. It could be argued that this model of voting is rather relevant as people commonly vote for parties that best suit them and will benefit them the most.

This model promotes the idea that voting behaviour is influenced by a combination of the party’s track record, election manifesto, the party leaders and key party players.

This means that voters make a decision not based on class, age, ethnicity or gender or party identification but on who will benefit them and their families.

What is interesting to note is that when a voter is younger they may be less motivated to vote for a political party that is focused on elderly care, pensions or childcare provision. They may be more moved to vote for a party with policies that impact their immediate lives, perhaps help to buy property or university tuition fees. As voters become older and more settled in their lives what motivates them to vote for a particular political party, single issue or leader may change as their lives change. This interpretation is clearly a generalisation and of course, young people/women/men/BAME or any 'group' of voters are not homogenous groups.

If a person lives in an area with high levels of unemployment, crime or perceived high numbers of immigrants, these may be the factors that impact the way that they vote. They will be looking for political parties with manifestos that promise to target their perceived issues in their lives. If a person or member(s) of their family works for the NHS, the police or in education, policies that improve working conditions including pay may impact the way someone votes.

The rise of ‘catch all’ parties has led to emphasis on issues, campaigns, leadership and competence. it could be said that this is a good thing forcing politicians to meet the voters needs but it is clear that floating voters and independent voting has become a lot more common. For example, when asked half way through the 2015 UK general election campaign, 34% of voters said that they may change their vote before election day whereas in 1992 only 18% said this showing a large increase. It could be argued that conscious decisions about which party best represents a voter’s interest or which are the main determinant of voting outcomes.

One factor that undermines the rational choice model is the ways in which the media may impact voting behaviour. Citizens learn about politics and government primarily from television, social media and newspapers. These media outlets can influence voters not only through the slant of a particular report, but also merely by choosing which to stories to cover. Therefore perhaps voters in this sense are unable to make rational choices. Recent studies suggest that media exposure can have a sizable impact in shaping the public's political knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. However, these studies may have overestimated the impacts of media influence due to individuals' tendency to seek out information that agrees with their pre-existing views.

Overall, the rational choice model of voting behaviour has serious merits, yet some pitfalls. It has been proven time and time again that people vote for what benefits them, yet they cannot make a rational choice based on biased information. Therefore, while the model is significant, it relies on an unbiased mass media and/or a politically aware population.

Your task is to watch the Channel 4 News report made ahead of the 2017 General Election. It was filmed in Redcar, in the heart of the Tees Valley, where unemployment is well above the national average. The reporter visits groups of working people and those that are unemployed asking them what the election is all about for them.

What key issues do the people claim influence their voting behaviour?

Are all of those interviewed motivated to vote according to the rational choice model?

Write your response and upload it to your student folder.