How do political parties campaign in elections, and what affects how people vote?
Elections and campaigns: how parties campaign for votes, the tools they use such as manifestos, the media and social media, and the factors that influence how people vote.
How elections and campaigns work for SQA National 5 Modern Studies: the campaign tools parties use, including manifestos, canvassing, party election broadcasts, traditional media and social media, and the factors that influence voting such as policies, leaders, age and the media, with worked exam answers.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point sits in Section 1 of the SQA National 5 Modern Studies question paper, Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom. It asks you to understand how political parties campaign to win votes in elections and what factors influence how people vote. You need to know the main campaign tools (manifestos, canvassing, party election broadcasts, traditional media and social media) and the influences on voting behaviour (policies, party leaders, the media, age and social background).
This topic links directly to voting systems and to participation. Describe questions ask for campaign methods; explain questions ask for the factors behind voting decisions.
The answer
How parties campaign
Parties use a range of methods to win votes during an election campaign:
- Manifestos - a published document setting out the policies a party promises to deliver if elected, so voters can compare offers.
- Canvassing and leafleting - candidates and activists knock on doors, hold street stalls and deliver leaflets to persuade voters and identify supporters.
- Party election broadcasts - short, free television and radio films that present a party's message to a wide audience.
- Traditional media - parties seek favourable coverage in newspapers, on TV and on radio, and leaders take part in televised debates.
- Social media - platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok let parties share targeted messages, short videos and paid adverts cheaply, often aimed at specific groups such as younger voters.
- Rallies and visits - leaders tour the country, hold events and visit key constituencies to generate news coverage and enthuse supporters.
What influences how people vote
People decide who to vote for in different ways, and the main factors are:
- Policies and issues - many voters compare what parties promise on health, tax, education and other issues and pick the closest match.
- Party leaders - a leader who seems competent and trustworthy can attract votes; an unpopular leader can lose them. Campaigns are often "presidential", focusing on leaders.
- The media and social media - coverage and targeted content shape how voters see parties and can sway undecided voters.
- Age - different age groups have tended to favour different parties, so age can influence voting patterns.
- Social background and identity - factors such as where people live, their job and long-standing party loyalty can all play a part.
- Party loyalty (partisanship) - some voters reliably support the same party at every election out of long-term identification.
Why these factors matter
No single factor decides an election. Some voters are loyal partisans who rarely change, while floating voters (those without a fixed party) are the target of campaigns because they can be won over. Parties therefore tailor manifestos, leader image and targeted social media to persuade these undecided voters. An explain question usually rewards showing how several factors combine, not just naming one.
Examples in context
If a source describes a party releasing a glossy document full of policy promises, that is a manifesto. If a source describes a party running targeted video adverts at young voters online, that is social media campaigning. If a source describes support shifting after a strong televised debate performance, that shows the influence of party leaders and the media. Matching the example to the method or factor is the exam skill.
Try this
Q1. Name two ways a political party can campaign during an election. [2 marks]
- What the marker wants. Any two of: manifestos, canvassing or leafleting, party election broadcasts, media coverage, social media, rallies and visits.
Q2. What is a manifesto? [1 mark]
- What the marker wants. A published document setting out the policies a party promises to deliver if it is elected.
Q3. Explain one factor that can influence how a person votes. [3 marks]
- What the marker wants. For example, party leaders: a competent, trustworthy leader can attract undecided voters, while an unpopular leader can drive support away, so leadership image can shift the result.
A note on sources
This guide is AI-written and not individually human-reviewed. Campaign methods and voting factors follow the published SQA National 5 Modern Studies course specification; verify current details and paper structure against the specification at sqa.org.uk.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style6 marksDescribe, in detail, two ways political parties try to win votes during an election campaign. (6 marks)Show worked answer →
A knowledge (describe) question. The marker awards up to 3 marks per way: name the campaign method and develop it with detail about how it tries to win support.
Way one: manifestos. Each party publishes a manifesto setting out the policies it promises to deliver if elected, so voters can compare what parties offer and choose the one closest to their views. Way two: social media. Parties use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok to share targeted messages, short videos and adverts aimed at particular groups of voters, which is cheap and reaches younger people directly.
Each way needs naming plus development of how it wins votes. Two named methods with no detail would stay low; two developed methods reach 6.
SQA N5 style8 marksExplain, in detail, the factors that influence how people decide to vote. (8 marks)Show worked answer →
An explain question worth 8 marks, so the marker wants several developed factors, each a point plus a consequence, ideally three or more.
Factor one: policies. Many voters compare party policies on issues such as health, tax and education and vote for the party whose promises best match their priorities. Factor two: party leaders. A leader seen as competent and trustworthy can attract votes, while an unpopular leader can drive support away, because campaigns are often presidential in style. Factor three: the media and social media. Newspaper coverage and targeted online content shape how voters see parties and issues, influencing undecided voters. Factor four: age and social background can shape voting patterns, with different age groups tending to favour different parties.
For 8 marks give three or more developed factors with consequences. A bare list of factors caps lower.
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