Class dealignment and the neighbourhood effect: Miller revisited

British Journal of Political Science

Volumn 31, Issue 1, 2001, Pages 41-59

  Macallister, I ^a   Johnston, R J ^b   Pattie, C J ^c   Tunstall, H ^b   Dorling, D F L ^b   Rossiter, D J ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL   (United Kingdom)

^c UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0041077763     PISSN: 00071234     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0007123401000035     Document Type: Article

References (38)

1. I. Crewe, B. Särlvik and J. Alt, 'Partisan Dealignment in Britain, 1964-74', British Journal of Political Science, 1 (1977), 129-90; B. Särlvik and I. Crewe, Decade of Dealignment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983). See also M. N. Franklin, The Decline of Class Voting in Britain (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985).
2. I. Crewe, B. Särlvik and J. Alt, 'Partisan Dealignment in Britain, 1964-74', British Journal of Political Science, 1 (1977), 129-90; B. Särlvik and I. Crewe, Decade of Dealignment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983). See also M. N. Franklin, The Decline of Class Voting in Britain (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985).
3. I. Crewe, B. Särlvik and J. Alt, 'Partisan Dealignment in Britain, 1964-74', British Journal of Political Science, 1 (1977), 129-90; B. Särlvik and I. Crewe, Decade of Dealignment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983). See also M. N. Franklin, The Decline of Class Voting in Britain (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985).
4. D. Sanders, 'The New Electoral Battleground', in A. King, ed., New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls 1997 (Chatham, NJ: Chatham House, 1997), pp. 209-48.
5. W. L. Miller, 'Social Class and Party Choice in England: A New Analysis', British Journal of Political Science, 8 (1978), 257-84.
6. For a review of the seminal literature, see P. J. Taylor and P. J. Johnston, Geography of Elections (London: Penguin, 1979). See also R. J. Johnston, 'Electoral Geography', in N. J. Smelser and P. B. Baltes, eds, International Encyclopaedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (London: Elsevier 2001, forthcoming). The most recent substantial review of the subject - though relating almost entirely to North American studies - is J. W. Books and C. L. Prysby, Political Behavior and the Local Context (New York: Praeger, 1991).
7. For a review of the seminal literature, see P. J. Taylor and P. J. Johnston, Geography of Elections (London: Penguin, 1979). See also R. J. Johnston, 'Electoral Geography', in N. J. Smelser and P. B. Baltes, eds, International Encyclopaedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (London: Elsevier 2001, forthcoming). The most recent substantial review of the subject - though relating almost entirely to North American studies - is J. W. Books and C. L. Prysby, Political Behavior and the Local Context (New York: Praeger, 1991).
8. For a review of the seminal literature, see P. J. Taylor and P. J. Johnston, Geography of Elections (London: Penguin, 1979). See also R. J. Johnston, 'Electoral Geography', in N. J. Smelser and P. B. Baltes, eds, International Encyclopaedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (London: Elsevier 2001, forthcoming). The most recent substantial review of the subject - though relating almost entirely to North American studies - is J. W. Books and C. L. Prysby, Political Behavior and the Local Context (New York: Praeger, 1991).
9. See K. R. Cox, 'The Voting Decision in a Spatial Context', in C. Board et al., eds, Progress in Geography, Volume 1 (London: Edward Arnold, 1969); J. Agnew, 'Mapping Politics: How Context Counts in Electoral Geography', Political Geography, 15 (1996), 129-46; and M. Eagles, ed., Spatial and Contextual Models in Political Research (London: Taylor and Francis, 1995).
10. See K. R. Cox, 'The Voting Decision in a Spatial Context', in C. Board et al., eds, Progress in Geography, Volume 1 (London: Edward Arnold, 1969); J. Agnew, 'Mapping Politics: How Context Counts in Electoral Geography', Political Geography, 15 (1996), 129-46; and M. Eagles, ed., Spatial and Contextual Models in Political Research (London: Taylor and Francis, 1995).
11. See K. R. Cox, 'The Voting Decision in a Spatial Context', in C. Board et al., eds, Progress in Geography, Volume 1 (London: Edward Arnold, 1969); J. Agnew, 'Mapping Politics: How Context Counts in Electoral Geography', Political Geography, 15 (1996), 129-46; and M. Eagles, ed., Spatial and Contextual Models in Political Research (London: Taylor and Francis, 1995).
12. W. L. Miller, Electoral Dynamics (London: Macmillan, 1977), p. 65.
13. J. Curtice, 'Is Talking Across the Garden Fence of Political Import?' in M. Eagles, ed., Spatial and Contextual Models in Political Research (London: Taylor and Francis, 1995), pp. 195-211; C. J. Pattie and R. J. Johnston, 'Context, Conversation and Conviction: Social Networks and Voting at the 1997 British General Election', Political Studies, 47 (1999), 877-89.
14. J. Curtice, 'Is Talking Across the Garden Fence of Political Import?' in M. Eagles, ed., Spatial and Contextual Models in Political Research (London: Taylor and Francis, 1995), pp. 195-211; C. J. Pattie and R. J. Johnston, 'Context, Conversation and Conviction: Social Networks and Voting at the 1997 British General Election', Political Studies, 47 (1999), 877-89.
15. Miller, 'Social Class and Party Choice in England'.
16. As was claimed in B. Berelsen, P. F. Lazarsfeld and W. N. McPhee, Voting (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1954).
17. The source of this model is A. Przeworski and G. A. D. Soares, 'Theories in Search of a Curve: A Contextual Interpretation of the Left Vote', American Political Science Review, 65 (1971), 51-68.
18. For later work on this theme, see M. Savage, 'Understanding Political Alignments in Contemporary Britain: Do Localities Matter?' Political Geography Quarterly, 6 (1987), 53-76, and A Warde, M. Savage, B. Longhurst and A. Martin,'Class, Consumption and Voting: An Ecological Analysis of Wards and Towns in the 1980 Local Elections in England', Political Geography Quarterly, 7 (1988), 339-51.
19. For later work on this theme, see M. Savage, 'Understanding Political Alignments in Contemporary Britain: Do Localities Matter?' Political Geography Quarterly, 6 (1987), 53-76, and A Warde, M. Savage, B. Longhurst and A. Martin,'Class, Consumption and Voting: An Ecological Analysis of Wards and Towns in the 1980 Local Elections in England', Political Geography Quarterly, 7 (1988), 339-51.
20. P. Dunleavy, 'The Urban Basis of Political Alignment: Social Class, Domestic Property Ownership, and State Intervention in Consumption Processes', British Journal of Political Science, 9 (1979), 409-43.
21. Dunleavy, 'The Urban Basis of Political Alignment', p. 413.
22. As in R. J. Johnston, C. J. Pattie and J. G. Allsopp, A Nation Dividing? Britain's Changing Electoral Map, 1979-87 (London: Longman, 1988).
23. R. J. Johnston, C. J. Pattie and A. N. Russell, 'Dealignment, Spatial Polarisation and Economic Voting: An Exploration of Recent Trends in British Voting Behaviour', European Journal of Political Research, 23 (1993), 67-90. Gary King's suggested resolution of the ecological problem has the potential for expanding this area of work in a variety of ways (G. King, A Solution to the Ecological Inference Problem: Reconstructing Individual Behavior from Aggregate Data (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997)).
24. R. J. Johnston, C. J. Pattie and A. N. Russell, 'Dealignment, Spatial Polarisation and Economic Voting: An Exploration of Recent Trends in British Voting Behaviour', European Journal of Political Research, 23 (1993), 67-90. Gary King's suggested resolution of the ecological problem has the potential for expanding this area of work in a variety of ways (G. King, A Solution to the Ecological Inference Problem: Reconstructing Individual Behavior from Aggregate Data (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997)).
25. Warde et al., 'Class, Consumption and Voting', analysed voting patterns in local government elections at the ward scale, but low turnout makes for difficulties, especially as there is usually differential turnout between the supporters of the main political parties.
26. M. Harrop, A. Heath and S. Openshaw, 'Does Neighbourhood Influence Voting Behaviour - and Why?', in I. Crewe, P. Norris, D. Denver and D. Broughton, eds, British Elections and Parties Yearbook, 1991 (Hemel Hempstead: Harvester-Wheatsheaf, 1991), pp. 103-20.
27. I. McAllister and D. T. Studlar, 'Region and Voting in Britain: Territorial Polarization or Artifact?', American Journal of Political Science, 36 (1992), 168-99. R. J. Johnston and C. J. Pattie, 'Composition and Context: Composition and Context: Region and Voting in Britain Revisited During Labour's 1990s' Revival', Geoforum, 29 (1998), 309-29.
28. I. McAllister and D. T. Studlar, 'Region and Voting in Britain: Territorial Polarization or Artifact?', American Journal of Political Science, 36 (1992), 168-99. R. J. Johnston and C. J. Pattie, 'Composition and Context: Composition and Context: Region and Voting in Britain Revisited During Labour's 1990s' Revival', Geoforum, 29 (1998), 309-29.
29. Cox, The Voting Decision'.
30. Books and Prysby, Political Behavior and the Local Context.
31. J. W. Books and C. L. Prysby, 'Contextual Effects on Retrospective Economic Evaluations: The Impact of the State and Local Economy', Political Behavior, 21 (1999), 1-16. See also H. Tunstall, D. J. Rossiter, C. J. Pattie, I. MacAllister, R. J. Johnston and D. F. L. Dorling, 'Geographical Scale, the Feel-Good Factor, and Voting at the 1997 General Election in England and Wales', Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, NS25 (2000), forthcoming.
32. J. W. Books and C. L. Prysby, 'Contextual Effects on Retrospective Economic Evaluations: The Impact of the State and Local Economy', Political Behavior, 21 (1999), 1-16. See also H. Tunstall, D. J. Rossiter, C. J. Pattie, I. MacAllister, R. J. Johnston and D. F. L. Dorling, 'Geographical Scale, the Feel-Good Factor, and Voting at the 1997 General Election in England and Wales', Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, NS25 (2000), forthcoming.
33. Cox, The Voting Decision'.
34. This has been argued in I. McAllister and R. Rose, Voters Begin to Choose (London: Sage Publications, 1988) and in J. D. Kelley and I. McAllister, 'Social Context and Electoral Behavior in Britain', American Journal of Political Science, 29 (1985), 564-86.
35. This has been argued in I. McAllister and R. Rose, Voters Begin to Choose (London: Sage Publications, 1988) and in J. D. Kelley and I. McAllister, 'Social Context and Electoral Behavior in Britain', American Journal of Political Science, 29 (1985), 564-86.
36. To illustrate this, at the constituency scale, the more middle-class the area (i.e. the higher the percentage of households headed by a person in socio-economic groups 1-5) the lower the percentage who are in the 'lowest' middle-class group (i.e. SEG 5): Wokingham, for example, has the highest percentage in SEGs 1-5 (41), of whom only 26 per cent are in SEG5: Birmingham Ladywood, by contrast, has the lowest percentage in SEGs 1-5 for England and Wales (8), of whom 45 per cent are in SEG5. If those in SEG5 are more likely to vote Labour than those in SEGs 1-4, then part of the 'neighbourhood effect' could be accounted for by intra-class geography. The BES data analysed here provide further supporting evidence. Among the salariat, for example, at the n 1000 scale, 16.2 per cent of those living in the highest-status areas (the top quintile) had household incomes below £12,000, whereas 26.7 per cent did in the lowest-status areas. Analyses of variance showed that neighbourhood was the most significant influence on vote among the salariat, holding income constant, however.
37. L. Festinger, Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (London: Tavistock Publications, 1957), pp. 29-31, and 268-70. We are very grateful to Hugh Berrington for suggesting this to us.
38. Books and Prysby, Political Behavior and the Local Context, p. 40.