TY - CHAP

T1 - Party Members’ Perception of Intra-Party Democracy

AU - Bolin, Niklas

AU - Kosiara-Pedersen, Karina

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Party members are increasingly being included in core intra-party decision-making processes, which could indicate an increased linkage through party member organizations. Yet we know less about how the formal changes play out in practice, in particular whether there is a correspondence between the formal and de facto intra-party democracy. The perceived level of intra-party democracy and party members’ satisfaction with this is an indicator of the extent to which parties provide participatory linkage through their party membership organizations. This chapter takes a closer look at individual-level perceptions of intra-party democracy in the three Scandinavian countries by using data from party member surveys of Denmark (2012), Norway (2017), and Sweden (2015). First, party members are in general quite satisfied with intra-party democracy. Norwegian party members, who formally have a higher level of intra-party democracy, also perceive it to be higher than in Sweden and Denmark. Second, party members’ political distance from their party as well as their expectations of intra-party influence seem to be important for their perception of intra-party democracy, whereas their level of participation and former experience of holding public or party offices are not important. Female members are generally more positive about intra-party democracy in their parties.

AB - Party members are increasingly being included in core intra-party decision-making processes, which could indicate an increased linkage through party member organizations. Yet we know less about how the formal changes play out in practice, in particular whether there is a correspondence between the formal and de facto intra-party democracy. The perceived level of intra-party democracy and party members’ satisfaction with this is an indicator of the extent to which parties provide participatory linkage through their party membership organizations. This chapter takes a closer look at individual-level perceptions of intra-party democracy in the three Scandinavian countries by using data from party member surveys of Denmark (2012), Norway (2017), and Sweden (2015). First, party members are in general quite satisfied with intra-party democracy. Norwegian party members, who formally have a higher level of intra-party democracy, also perceive it to be higher than in Sweden and Denmark. Second, party members’ political distance from their party as well as their expectations of intra-party influence seem to be important for their perception of intra-party democracy, whereas their level of participation and former experience of holding public or party offices are not important. Female members are generally more positive about intra-party democracy in their parties.

UR - https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781785523267/Nordic-Party-Members-Linkages-in-Troubled-Times

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 9781785523250

SP - 201

EP - 224

BT - Nordic Party Members: Linkages in Troubled Times

A2 - Demker, Marie

A2 - Heidar, Knut

A2 - Kosiara-Pedersen, Karina

PB - Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

CY - London;; New York

ER -