Young democrats, critical citizens and protest voters

Studying the profiles of movement party supporters

Bibliographic Data

ID9537646
AuthorsFelipe G Santos (0000-0001-7006-2088, City, University of London, corresponding author), Dan Mercea (0000-0003-3762-2404, City, University of London)
Year2025
Volume60
Issue1
Pages167-188
Publication date2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa Politica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0001-6810 • E-ISSN: 1741-1416
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1057/s41269-023-00321-7
OpenAlexW4391051892
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited57

The rise of movement parties in Europe has disrupted traditional notions of party politics, introducing new avenues for citizen engagement and political mobilisation. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the electorate of movement parties, using nationally representative survey data from six European countries. We identify four types of movement parties: green/left-libertarian, far-right, eclectic, and centrist, and examine the distinct profiles of their voters. The only common characteristic we find across movement party supporters is their belief in the influence of protests. We argue that green/left-libertarian voters embody a generational gap in political participation, as they utilise both electoral and non-electoral engagement to express their post-industrial demands. Far-right voters are distinguished by their discontent with the democratic system and political elites, following the pattern of what others have referred to as 'protest voters'. Meanwhile, centrist and eclectic voters embody the profile of 'critical citizens', who support the democratic system but are dissatisfied with its current functioning. While we see movement parties as a genuine innovation in the internal structuring of party organisations, our study calls into question the utility of this concept when seeking to understand the behaviour of their electorate. We emphasise the importance of recognising the diverse motivations behind movement party support, enriching our understanding of the changing dynamics of party politics in Europe

Comparative politics · Democracy · Movement (music · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Structuring · Survey data collection · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Social Media and Politics

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