Voting bloc

Not to be confused with Block voting, alternatively spelled Bloc Voting.

For the formalization of the same concept in social choice theory, see solid coalition.

A voting bloc is a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group of concerns to the point that such specific concerns tend to dominate their voting patterns, causing them to vote together in elections.^[1] Frequently bloc's come from the same community or have the same interests. Voters in a bloc tend to vote in the same or similar ways. These Bloc's tend to band together to campaign for a common interest or major issue.^[2] Blocs are used to allow a collection of voter to gain more leverage over elected officials by showing a significant portion of voters care about a major issue, allowing for a display of the ability of voters to maintain votes over specific issues from election to election.^[3]

Religious Groups

Beliefnet identifies 12 main religious blocs in American politics, such as the "Religious Right", whose concerns are dominated by religious and sociocultural issues; and American Jews, who are identified as a "strong Democratic group" with liberal views on economics and social issues.^[4] The result is that each of these groups votes en bloc in elections. Bloc voting in the United States is particularly cohesive among Orthodox Jews.^[5][6]

Characteristics

Voting blocs can be defined by a host of other shared characteristics, including region, religion, age, gender, education level, race, and even musical taste.^{[7][8][9][10]} Further factors may be defined based on weather the voters reside in an urban or rural area, a phenomenon known as the Urban-rural political divide.^[11] Bloc's are also defined based on what generation they are from. Such generational Bloc's are typically categorized by how the majority of a generation cares about a major issue.^[12]

See also

• Iglesia ni Cristo and Philippine elections
• Political alliance
• Political party
• Votebank
• Latino vote
• Ethnocultural politics in the United States
• Orthodox Jewish bloc voting