Exploring the Meaning of Party Identification – A Qualitative Approach

Party identification has been one of the most distinguished key concepts in election studies and is usually measured with a single-item. In Germany, the same question has been used since the 1970s, but to this day, we still do not exactly know what party identification actually means to its identifiers. I intend to explore the meaning of the relationship between the individual and the political party with a qualitative approach. I add a new facet by using current German online survey data from May 2013. After stating a party identification, almost 700 respondents were asked an open-ended question about what they actually mean by “leaning toward this particular party”. Additionally, I will draw from focus group interviews I conducted in April 2014. Indeed, I will be able to explore the meaning of party identification for party adherents as well as independents more thoroughly.