Explaining Party Member Activism
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
The purpose of chapter 9 is to analyse why Scandinavian party members participate and contribute to party linkage. We analyse the extent to which resources, views on intra-party democracy, political disagreement, and civil society integration have an impact upon five distinct forms of party member activism: meeting attendance, decision making, campaigning, and offline and online ambassadorial behaviour. We find some, but limited, support for the hypotheses about a positive relationship between resources and participation (H1), that members with views reflecting a ‘mass party’ participatory culture are more likely to participate (H2a), and a positive relationship between satisfaction with intra-party democracy and participation (H2b). Our analyses yield no support for the argument that members who agree with the party are more likely to participate than those who disagree (H3). However, we do find strong support for the positive impact of civil society integration on participation (H4). In sum, we find that party member activism is not further skewed hence pointing towards a stable rather than weak participatory linkage. A multidimensional understanding of traditional, dues-paying party membership is appropriate. Party members are a mixed bunch whom parties can mobilize to different types of participation in various ways.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Nordic Party Members : Linkages in Troubled Times |
Editors | Marie Demker, Knut Heidar, Karina Kosiara-Pedersen |
Number of pages | 24 |
Place of Publication | London |
Publisher | Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |
Publication date | 2019 |
Pages | 175-198 |
Chapter | 9 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781785523250 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781785523267 |
Publication status | Published - 2019 |
ID: 233653415