The future of our democracies : young party members in Europe

"This book presents the results of a new comparative research project on the trajectories, motivations, perceptions and attitudes of young members (aged 18-25) of 13 different European political parties in GB, France, Germany, Spain, Norway and Hungary. The project combined a mass survey of 2919 young party members with 507 in-depth interviews"--Provided by publisher. 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 This book presents the results of a new comparative research project on the trajectories, motivations, perceptions and attitudes of young members (aged 18-25) of 15 different European political parties in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Norway and Hungary. The project combined a mass survey of 2919 young party members with 517 in-depth interviews. The Future of our Democracies offers a panorama of the motivations, activities, and perceptions of young members of 15 political parties spanning the entire ideological spectrum, in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Norway, and Hungary. Using a new comparative mass survey and in-depth interviews, Bruter and Harrison look at what makes some young people engage in party politics against the tide of political apathy from their peers. The book provides an unprecedented sense of how these unusual young people see their political involvement, their party, their society, and how they envisage the future of our democracies. It shows how three types of young party members, moral-, social-, and professional-minded are characterised by radically different perceptions, hopes, and ideas about the future. The book follows their trajectories, from the origins of their membership to how they envisage their future and that of our democracies Machine generated contents note: Introduction and Background * Model and Methods * Becoming a Young Party Member: Inheritance, Paths to Membership, and Political Socialisation * 24 Hours in the Life of a Young Party Member * How the Party Changed my Life * Young Party Members and their Party * Young Party Members and their Democracy * Young Party Members and their Future * The Future of our Democracies * The Survey Introduction and Background * Model and Methods * Becoming a Young Party Member: Inheritance, Paths to Membership, and Political Socialisation * 24 Hours in the Life of a Young Party Member * How the Party Changed my Life * Young Party Members and their Party * Young Party Members and their Democracy * Young Party Members and their Future * The Future of our Democracies * The Survey.

This book presents the results of a new comparative research project on the trajectories, motivations, perceptions and attitudes of young members (aged 18-25) of 13 different European political parties in GB, France, Germany, Spain, Norway and Hungary. The project combined a mass survey of 2919 young party members with 507 in-depth interviews.