Do More Members Make a Better Party? Citizen’s Perspective on Intra-Party Democracy in Australia and the UK

While the importance of the democratic nature of political parties is largely unquestioned in the political science literature, it is still an open question whether citizens also care about how democratically parties are organised. Established theories of parties emphasize that parties’ internal democracy is vital for their connection to society and that this intra-party democracy hinges on a sizable membership, and open decision-making processes about programs and candidates. Furthermore, the literature makes a strong claim about the potential to strengthen intra-party democracy by involving non-members. This article investigates whether citizens agree with these assumptions and whether their understanding of intra-party democracy is connected to their demographics, their democratic values, their beliefs about other aspects of parties, and the processes within the party they support. This investigation is based on original data from a survey from 2019 run in the UK and Australia—which include novel survey instruments measuring citizens’ preferences for intra-party democracy. The findings show that citizens value intra-party transparency substantially more than membership numbers or the involvement of non-members. Transparency is particularly valued by women, niche party supporters and those with higher levels of democratic support. The counter point (a strong and united program) is valued by supporters of centre and radical right parties. These findings indicate, first, that citizens’ perspectives on intra-party democracies are not as clearly delineated as they are in the party literature and, second, that these views are shaped by the party respondents support.