Sleeping or Active Partners? Danish Party Members at the Turn of the Millennium

The article is based on a newly conducted survey of Danish party members. It shows that Danish party members enrol because of the ideology and national policies of the preferred party, and because they want to support the party. A significant number of members leave their party every year, and as many as one-fifth consider leaving, but new members also enrol. Compared to voters, members are not gender and age representative, but are to some extent representative when it comes to education. Members vary in levels of and types of activities they engage in, ranging from those who only pay dues to a small elite of very active members. Parties as channels of participation are characterized by both vitality and lethargy.