Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box and More Philip Cowley Collection 2 Books Bundle - 50 things you need to know about British elections, Another Fifty Things You Need to Know About Elections. Description:- Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: 50 things you need to know about British elections Shortlisted for the Practical Politics Book of the Year at The Paddy Power Political Book Awards 2015 Have you ever wondered... what emotions really influence where your cross goes on the ballot paper? ... whether people are claiming to vote when they haven't? ... which party's supporters are the kinkiest in bed? In the run-up to the most hotly contested and unpredictable election in a generation, this exhilarating read injects some life back into the world of British electoral politics. Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box sheds light on some of our more unusual voting trends, ranging from why people lie about voting to how being attractive can get you elected. Each of the fifty accessible and concise chapters, written by leading political experts, seeks to examine the broader issues surrounding voting and elections in Britain. More Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: Another Fifty Things You Need to Know About Elections Then look no further. More Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box brings us another collection of concise chapters penned by leading political experts and delving into the fascinating field of electoral politics. Following on from the success of its bestselling predecessor, this illuminating book shines a light on how we vote in Britain and around the world. You'll learn about the shifting landscape of party politics and the perceptions and misconceptions that shape our opinions of our politicians and of each other. You'll learn about the factors informing voter habits - from class, race and gender to the internet and the weather.
I liked this. I think the structure is really good - not the sexiest thing about a book normally, but probably under-rated. It's 50 x 1,000 word (maybe 4/5 pages each?) articles about different interesting findings in polling, and the interesting results that come up. But it's well edited, so each of them flow into the next and reference each other, so it's easy to just dip in and out of.
Some highlights:
1. Wales - it's difficult to understate just how poorly the Conservatives have performed there for basically the entirety of Welsh history. Nowhere else in GB compares. First they liked the Liberals, then Labour, now maybe Plaid and/or Ukip/Brexit Party. They just hate the Tories (no comment).
2. Turnout - the amount of people who will say they turned out to vote (but didn't - 11.6%), and the amount of people that say they didn't vote (but did - 1.9%) is actually wild. I have no idea how you'd account for that kind of dishonesty and apparent amnesia in polling. That's about 7 million people who can't even accurately report whether they voted, never mind who for.
3. Group effects - living with someone who votes is basically the biggest predictor of whether you'll vote. HENCEFORTH ahead of the next election I plan to live with every person in the UK for about 10 mins each. I shall single-handedly boost turnout: you're all welcome.