The Future of our Democracies: Young Party Members in Europe

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
List of Tables and Figures......Page 11
Acknowledgement......Page 13
Introduction and object......Page 14
Progressing from the existing literature......Page 16
Young people in politics – mobilisation, participation, and socialisation – evolution and problems......Page 19
Parties and young party organisations in Europe: The landscape......Page 22
Approach and structure of the book......Page 26
Why people join parties......Page 30
From incentives to members types: A trichotomous model of young party members......Page 33
The social-minded members......Page 35
The professional-minded members......Page 36
A model of young party members' preferences, behaviour, and attitudes: The hypotheses tested in the book......Page 37
The approach......Page 39
Scope of the comparison......Page 40
The survey......Page 41
The interviews......Page 42
Confirming the moral, social, and professional members trichotomy......Page 43
Specific incentives......Page 46
Characterisation of the three member types......Page 48
Spotlight on the discourse of moral-minded young party members......Page 49
Dissecting the discourse of social-minded young party members......Page 50
Understanding the discourse of professional-minded young party members......Page 51
Paths to young party membership......Page 53
The first route – family role models......Page 54
The third route – From one organisation to the next......Page 58
Family stories......Page 60
My friend the party member......Page 65
Politics at school......Page 66
Unions, pressure groups, and political parties......Page 67
Categorising the catalyst of membership......Page 69
A story of incidents? The day I joined my party......Page 72
4 24 Hours in the Life of a Young Party Member......Page 79
How active is active? – Faster, higher, stronger?......Page 80
Categorising the assiduity of young party members......Page 82
All the time – visiting the party's 'intensive care'......Page 84
Every day party-holics......Page 85
The monthly visitors......Page 87
The occasional young party members......Page 88
The activities of young party members – general trends......Page 89
The routine of a young party member......Page 92
Accounts of a varied pattern of activism......Page 93
Young party members as free labour......Page 96
Young party members as administrators......Page 97
Mentoring fellow members......Page 100
Social commitments......Page 101
Intellectual work......Page 104
Public relations activities and representation......Page 107
Democratic linkage activities......Page 109
Political opposition, subversion, and demonstration......Page 110
Low-level policy and social outreach......Page 114
5 How the Party Changed My Life?......Page 117
What young party members like .........Page 118
Debating, arguing, and formulating......Page 120
Mixing with the stars......Page 121
Campaigning......Page 122
Ideological stimulation......Page 123
Internal leadership and co-ordination......Page 124
Networking......Page 125
Doing things – practice vs theory......Page 126
The personalisation of politics and power games......Page 127
The circularity of meetings and internal debates......Page 128
Bureaucratic tasks......Page 129
Facing ideological rigidity......Page 130
Becoming a campaigner......Page 131
Becoming a leader......Page 134
The social impact of young activists' party membership......Page 137
Sacrificing personal life......Page 138
Changing friendships......Page 140
When young party members feel marginalised and misunderstood......Page 143
6 Young Party Members and Their Party......Page 149
Young party members and their party priorities......Page 150
Young party members' efficacy and perceptions of members – leaders relationship: An overview......Page 153
A sense of power? The efficacy of young party members......Page 154
Getting on with other generations – young party members' perceptions of their elder......Page 159
Feeling good – when young party members find a new family......Page 162
When the atmosphere is bad......Page 165
When social and moral-minded members resent professional-minded ones......Page 169
Fighting free-riders......Page 172
7 Young Party Members and Their Democracy......Page 175
Politics as a profession: Old practice or new thought?......Page 177
Overview......Page 178
The non-professional vision of politics......Page 179
Criticising the professionalisation of politics......Page 181
Begrudgingly – or frankly – supporting the professionalisation of politics......Page 182
Deconstructing the policy priorities of young party members......Page 184
Addressing the young......Page 188
Dealing with apathy – the case for the defence......Page 191
Accusing a changing world and the alternatives to party politics......Page 192
Accusing a decaying political system......Page 194
Accusing fractious politicians......Page 195
Accusing bad politicians......Page 196
Dealing with apathy – the case for the prosecution......Page 197
Blaming ignorance......Page 198
Blaming hedonism and materialism......Page 199
Blaming selfishness and the absence of public spirit......Page 200
Criticising and destroying......Page 201
How young party members plan to change the world......Page 202
Regaining citizens' interest......Page 203
Being pedagogical......Page 204
Reforming democratic political systems......Page 205
8 Young Party Members and Their Future......Page 208
General trends......Page 210
The end of the road......Page 213
The globalisation of political activism......Page 215
Grass root member once, grass root member forever......Page 217
'Now that you mention it'......Page 219
'I have always wanted to be a politician ...'......Page 224
Wanting to engage in professional politics .........Page 225
Wanting to make a difference......Page 226
Everybody wants it......Page 227
Changing the life of one's community......Page 228
Faster, higher, stronger .........Page 230
A new model of young party membership......Page 236
What have we learnt?......Page 238
The blues of the young party member......Page 243
Are parties the school of life?......Page 247
Between pride and happiness......Page 249
Reflecting on the co-existence of social-, moral-, and professional-minded young party members......Page 250
The future of our democracies?......Page 252
The Survey......Page 253
Notes......Page 255
Bibliography......Page 257
M......Page 262
Y......Page 263