Voting Behaviour: Partisan Dealignment
The weakening of voters' long-term attachment to a particular political party, leading to more volatile and unpredictable election results.
Real World
The combined Conservative and Labour vote share fell from over 90% in 1955 to just 67% in 2010, reflecting how millions of voters — including former loyal Labour supporters who backed the LibDems — no longer feel bound to one party.
Exam Focus
Distinguish partisan dealignment (weakening attachment) from class dealignment (weakening class-vote link) — conflating them is a common mistake examiners penalise.
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