Resumen de Why do Party Members Leave?
Why do people leave political parties they once joined as members? This article assesses five explanations: civic resources; cognitive engagement; a preference for alternative forms of political participation; ideological preferences; and material benefits to membership. These explanations are tested using data from a 2013 face-to-face probability-based survey in Austria ( n = 3266, of which 545 respondents are current or former party members). Self-reports and regression analyses show that cognitive disengagement and ideological preferences are the main differences between current and former members. These findings have important implications for understanding why party membership is in decline.
