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When Parties Become Movements : the Movement-ization of Established Party Organizations in Austria, Germany, and the UK
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Keywords
Conservatism
Movement party
Party reforms
Social Democracy
Social movements
Sociology and Political Science
Movement party
Party reforms
Social Democracy
Social movements
Sociology and Political Science
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27280
Abstract
In light of widespread frustration with representative democracy, political parties increasingly imitate social movements—a phenomenon scholars have conceptualized as movement-party hybrids, or movement parties. Strikingly though, research hitherto on the topic focuses on emerging parties and reveals little about movement-ization re-shaping traditional party organizations and, therefore, representative democracy. In 39 qualitative interviews with Social Democratic and Conservative party organizers in Germany, Austria, and the UK, I compare how different established parties experience demands for a movement-ization of their organization. Results show that established parties, too, face pressures to provide social movement-like experiences and de-formalization, yet their adaptation strategies differ as a function of political orientation, organizational heritage, member expectations, and political discontent. Whereas Social Democrats envision a more bottom-up and movement-inspired re-organization yet seriously suffer from the tensions this causes among different member and supporter groups, Conservatives (if at all) embrace movement-ization as a top-down steered strategic re-branding suggesting elevated policy efficacy.
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Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2023-12-05
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1007/s11615-023-00524-9