Electoral Change Since 1945 (Making Contemporary Britain) (Hardcover)

Electoral Change Since 1945 (Making Contemporary Britain)

This book explores the nature of electoral change in Britain duringthe last half century. The period from 1945-70 was the classic eraof two-party dominance at every level of British politics: atWestminster, county hall, and in the electorate. Since the earlyseventies Conservative and Labour hegemony has remained virtuallyunaltered in Parliament, but their grip has been loosened in localgovernment, and the popular foundations of the two-party systemhave been eroded among voters.Why has Britain evolved from a dominant to a declining two-partysystem during the last fifty years? This study considersalternative explanations for these developments, focusing onchanges in voters, parties, and political communications.The book provides students with a fresh and accessible perspectiveon theories of electoral change, placing developments in Britainwithin their broader comparative context, and challenging manyconventional assumptions about trends in voting behaviour.