18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
Economic voting model(tap to reveal)- The theory that people vote mainly based on how well the economy is doing, backing the government when times are good and throwing it out when they are not.
Instrumental voting(tap to reveal)- Voting for a party to get a result you want, not because you really support them.
Issue voting(tap to reveal)- Voting based on what a party promises to do about a specific issue that matters to you.
Media bias(tap to reveal)- When media coverage systematically favours one political side - either openly or through framing choices.
Media framing(tap to reveal)- The way news media present information to shape how audiences think about an issue, including which aspects they highlight, which they ignore and what moral conclusions they encourage.
New media(tap to reveal)- Digital media platforms such as websites, online news, and streaming services that allow more interactive and personalised consumption of content.
Social media(tap to reveal)- Online platforms such as Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok where users create and share content, increasingly important in political campaigning.
Tactical voting(tap to reveal)- Voting for your second choice to stop your least favourite party winning. Common under FPTP.
Traditional media(tap to reveal)- Older forms of media such as newspapers, television, and radio, which broadcast content to large, generally passive audiences.
Valence voting(tap to reveal)- Voting for the party you think is most competent and trustworthy, rather than for a specific policy.
Voting intention poll(tap to reveal)- A survey asking how people would vote today. Used to track party support between elections.
Agenda setting(tap to reveal)- The ability to decide which issues politicians and the public pay attention to.
Bandwagon effect(tap to reveal)- When people support a candidate just because they seem to be winning.
Blue Wall(tap to reveal)- A group of traditionally Conservative-voting, affluent constituencies in the South of England and commuter belts that became more competitive for the Liberal Democrats.
Class alignment(tap to reveal)- The old pattern where working-class people voted Labour and middle-class people voted Conservative.
Class dealignment(tap to reveal)- The weakening connection between social class and how people vote, so working-class voters no longer automatically support Labour.
Class politics(tap to reveal)- When voting and political loyalties are shaped mainly by social class, with workers supporting left-wing parties and the better-off supporting right-wing parties.
Core voter(tap to reveal)- A loyal party voter who almost always votes the same way regardless of circumstances.