FREIE WÄHLER: Members, Identity and Organization. A Membership Survey

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Using a postal survey this study will be the first to generate solid empirical evidence on the membership and the local organizational structure of the FREIE WÄHLER (Independent Electoral Lists). The study will cover the entire Germany and will focus solely on the membership of the FREIE WÄHLER. The survey will also generate results on candidates and incumbents of the FREIE WÄHLER. The central focus of the study will be on the identity of the FREIE WÄHLER. In a nutshell: What are the relevant factors explaining participation, which sociodemographic profile, which political orientations characterize the membership of the FREIE WÄHLER and how do these results compare to those from studies on political parties and the Kommunale Wählergemeinschaften (Local Electoral Lists)?The FREIE WÄHLER are an organizational hybrid consisting of a party-like organization (Bundesvereinigung) and an association of electoral lists (Landesverbände and Bundesverband). For the first time, this study will cover the entire phenomenon. In order to do so we will survey the members of both components using national samples. This will also allow us to systematically compare the sociodemographic and attitudinal profiles of both organizational components. Our results will also be compared to the results from party membership surveys, particularly to the most recent German party member study PAMIS. As the FREIE WÄHLER are a special case of Local Electoral Lists, this offers also interesting comparative perspectives.