Tomorrow's leaders?: understanding the involvement of young party members in six European democracies

Bruter, Michael ORCID: 0000-0002-4805-357X and Harrison, Sarah (2009) Tomorrow's leaders?: understanding the involvement of young party members in six European democracies. Comparative Political Studies, 42 (10). pp. 1259-1290. ISSN 0010-4140

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Abstract

Using a mass survey of young members of 15 parties in six European democracies, this article explores their motivations, perceptions, attitudes, and behavior. In a context of general disenchantment with politics and febrile participation, particularly among young citizens, this article explains why a large number of youngsters still decide to get involved in one of the most traditional forms of activism: party membership. The study uses a comparative survey of 2,919 young party members ages 18 to 25 and shows that they fit into three categories: moral-, social-, and professional-minded. Young party members significantly differ in terms of their perceptions, preferences, behavior, and desired future involvement. The findings shed unprecedented light on the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s political leaders, a subgroup of professional-minded young party members who distinguish themselves from the majority of ideologically driven, moral-minded activists and some less motivated, disciplined, and reliable social-minded members.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://cps.sagepub.com/
Additional Information:	© 2009 SAGE Publications
Divisions:	Government
Subjects:	J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Date Deposited:	18 Feb 2011 14:04
Last Modified:	22 Apr 2024 04:27
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/32717

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