Strength in numbers. The Role of Collective Efficacy in Continued Populist Radical Right Party Activism

This paper explores the role of a collective form of efficacy in motivating populist radical right party (PRRP) members to remain active in their organisations. Based on one hundred interviews with PRRP members in Italy, Belgium, Finland, and Switzerland, the analysis shows that members are typically motivated by ‘purposive’ incentives, demonstrating political efficacy in ultimately hoping to shape society to their ideological preferences. In order to explain why party activists believe they can make a substantial impact despite their limited individual power within their organisations, our data highlights the relevance of a collective form of efficacy that is fostered through ideological commitment and communitarian loyalty. While ‘collective’ or ‘group efficacy’ has previously been identified as one among many individual-level stimuli of political activism and party membership, we demonstrate in more detail how collective efficacy is generated through a mix of ideological conviction and communitarian loyalty, and how it is key in keeping activist members motivated. We conclude by reflecting on the significance of our findings for the study of party activism in general, and also in terms of the lessons that can be drawn by other parties from PRRP member experiences.