Consumers are discerning. This is increasingly the same whether they are choosing clothes, technology or how, even if, they are expressing their political views and beliefs. There are direct implications for those trying to motivate campaigners and supporters, not least the political parties themselves.
The rise of choice across all aspects of life is a given. These choices are often made after great deliberation. Information is more widely available and it is rare that any decision is made without reading a series of online reviews/articles or the direct recommendation of a friend often through social media. The decision is also made in a timescale chosen by that person, not the artificial constructs of others.
Politics is now curated in the same way as personal book libraries or music collections. People are unafraid to 'pick and choose' their favoured policies and which they want to get more involved in supporting. The traditional model of political parties is one of aggregating views, some policies you like, others less so. That is at least part of the reason why people have joined single issue pressure groups; there is less of the problem of aggregation or trading off of beliefs.
That becomes less true, however, as the NGOs become larger and have to widen the scope of their campaigning. For others, the model of a top-down mass membership organisation becomes less appealing to those who want to be involved in decision-making. Personally as a member of one such organisation, I cannot recall ever being asked my opinion on any of the policies they pursue.
This means that trying to motivate people has to be done on the basis of individual appeals. Rarely will appeals to the greater good or mass appeals work. Take, for instance, the recent outcry over The Daily Mail's treatment of Ralph Miliband. This has less to do with the man's politics than a feeling that the Mail had gone too far in questioning his character and the language they used to do so. There was a ground swell of cross party condemnation.
All this opens up space again for the political parties but only if there is reason to join them. What really are the benefits of joining a political party? As an individual curates their politics, where do the political parties stand?
The space is at a local level. Local campaigns motivate people. A good and charismatic MP, council leader or local councillor can attract people. It is also back to personal recommendations and individuals seeing an immediate benefits their actions. This is possible in people's communities.
It also points to the top-down, media led approach of the political parties as being part of the problem for their failings. As they have become more remote, they have lost relevance. Connections which were important between members and their local communities can be reenergised.
Using the local space also means that people do not have to be particularly political to get involved in a political party. They can dip in and out, for instance if they want to join for six months or a year to focus on one campaign then that is fine. If the campaign succeeds and they meet some good people then they might well stay or at least come back in the future. This means the political parties need to stop obsessing over the simple number of members and instead consider how effective campaigns are, locally as well as nationally, and what value members have drawn from being involved, their experiences etc. Skilling someone for ongoing community activism and engagement even if they are only a member for a year could be viewed as a positive.
It's also not just about technology. The simple ability for large numbers of people to sign online petitions is not the same as securing a large numbers of signatures. Technology is a tool, not an end point in itself but too often it is seen as a panacea, the ultimate way in which to empower.
Until the political parties come to fully appreciate these changes then we will never see a return to 'mass membership' political parties.
For those involved in public affairs and campaigning it means understanding the motivations of individuals, not just groups. It also means being aware of the changes being made by the political parties and not treating that process merely as an interesting aside. Politics is not just about politicians and their behaviour.
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