Why do people vote for Sinn Féin?

[Eddy]

I know why I joined Sinn Féin, and I'll give you a clue, it's not because of their agricultural policies.

But I'm curious, to all the people here who voted for Sinn Féin in any sort of election, did you vote for us because of our policies on a United Ireland, or because you thought our economic policies, education policies etc made sense? (I'm asking seriously by the ways, I'm not attempting to say that either reason is more valid than the other).

I ask because I've heard a continual stress that people vote on bread and butter issues, but I think that when people vote for Sinn Féin, it's not the bread and butter issues that they vote for. However, I may very well be proved wrong.

[Jim-ie]

Since I'm in Belfast I vote for council, mlas and mps, but I only turned 18 2 years ago so I haven't voted for any MLAs before (last ones where in 2003 I think)

I voted for Gerry Adams (west belfast), for the obvious reason to continue to a united Ireland, plus he holds that seat very strongly (one of the strongest in westminster) and a vote for anyone else would be useless. Sinn Fein aren't in a position of any power in westminster obviously and as long as they continue to do constituency work I couldn't give a ************************e about them actually sitting or not.

If I where to vote on MLAs for the assembly and executive up here I would vote on policies because they would be in a position of power and thats where the policies matter. So yes and no on bread and butter issues.

I could vote for the SDLP and still have the united Ireland approach, but I'm just not fond of the SDLP as much as Sinn Féin, they're a bit soft.

[DSCH]

Voting SF in the south is also the ultimate middle class protest vote.

[revereie]

A vote for SF is an anti-establishment vote in Dublin (I know people who've voted for SF because some believed SF to be anti-immigrant whilst others voted for SF because they believed the opposite- i don't think that SF were playing both sides of the issue either).

SF councillors are also seen on the ground and do tend to get amongst their electorate more than some parties.

[Moogie]

plus he holds that seat very strongly (one of the strongest in westminster) and a vote for anyone else would be useless.

A very bad reason for voting for anyone in my opinion. By the same logic everyone in north antrim should vote for Paisley as he holds that seat very strongly. You don't have to vote at all you know or you could spoil your vote.

[MacCoise]

Like any other party we must accept ultimately that people vote for a party based on their policies, nothing else can be proved or disproved so its pretty pointless to speculate

[eurocrat]

Like any other party we must accept ultimately that people vote for a party based on their policies, nothing else can be proved or disproved so its pretty pointless to speculate

Except that in our system you vote for a candidate from a party, rather than just a party - like the second vote in Germany.

The 'polices' arguemnet doesn't hold up when voters decided between candidates of the same party.

[Libero]

Like any other party we must accept ultimately that people vote for a party based on their policies, nothing else can be proved or disproved so its pretty pointless to speculate

At the risk of sounding arrogant, spot the poster who has never studied politics.

Analysing the motives behind electoral choice is one of the key methodologies of political science, and the field of study has given us many tools to probe the question of why people vote for a party. Chief among these are group studies involving surveys and qualitative assessment.

Certainly it is nonsense to insist that "we must accept ultimately that people vote for a party based on their policies, nothing else can be proved or disproved so its pretty pointless to speculate". Common sense alone tells us that many people are quite ignorant of the policies behind the party they vote for, and that local constituency work and patronage makes the difference. Others will vote for a party if it makes them a cup of tea and drives them to the polling station.

Sinn Féin don't have a monopoly on that, of course, though they are better than most.

Others will vote for or against a party based on their attitude towards it, and that can have little to do with policy and more to do with class identification, voting against the establishment (or being appalled at voting for a party against the establishment), the dress sense and attractiveness of political leaders, etc.

And even where a voter appears to agree with a policy like raising taxes or cutting taxes, it can be for pretty greedy reasons that have little to do with the motives behind those who formulated the policy, i.e. to make Ireland a better place.

All in all, since we know how little voters know about party policy, how can we seriously insist that they are always or even mostly motivated by policy?

[MacCoise]

Like any other party we must accept ultimately that people vote for a party based on their policies, nothing else can be proved or disproved so its pretty pointless to speculate

At the risk of sounding arrogant, spot the poster who has never studied politics.

I studied my politics in the real world!
And oh yeah three years in UCD.

I think very few voters will of course vote for a party which exactly represents his views on every issue but in the broad sweep the policies of a party must be the paramount reason a person votes for that party. Anything else is illogical

[West Cork and proud]

I started voting SF a long time ago. The obvious reason was that they are a United Irealnd party not just in words but in actions etc.

I come from an upper middle class family lawyers, teachers, nurses etc. There is no republican background actually a blue shirt one and some FF with a bit of a Trade Union Background.

The reason I vote SF at the present is not just that they are an all Ireland party but their policy's do make since to me and they stand up to the likes of IBEC and the elitist right wing media on this island.

I could have possibly gone Labour but they are too soft on big Business and are scared Sh*tless of getting bad headlines in the media, reds under the bed and all that.