Party Membership Research: Methodological Changes and Challenges

The decline in party membership across many democracies has raised significant concerns within numerous political parties. In response, established parties have introduced organisational innovations aimed at enhancing their appeal to potential members. At the same time, the political newcomers often reject traditional party structures in favour of movement-based models, which they perceive as a means to rejuvenate political engagement. However, despite their reluctance to offer conventional memberships, these new political movements actively engage individuals. This article reviews the research methods employed in the study of party membership. Utilising, to some degree, a database created from articles published in “Party Politics”, we examine whether changes in the subject matter and the status of party membership within organisations are reflected in the adaptation of established research methods and techniques. We evaluate whether new methods and techniques provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation or if they merely represent superficial innovations or attractive ‘sprinkles’ that do not substantially contribute to generating new knowledge.