Conclusion: Issues, Elections and the Political Process

Abstract

It was once believed that an individual’s voting intentions were learned through political socialisation — from family, friends, school and neighbourhood — as part of the process of growing up. In the form of partisanship which ensues, party loyalties are so strong and so much a part of the individual’s sense of values that it is unthinkable for them to vote for any other party. This is known as normative voting because their support for a particular party is seen by the individual as normal behaviour. Because normative voting is learned from people of the same social background, partisan voting tends to be based on social class and associated with areas that are safe seats for one party or another.