Head start in politics - The recruitment function of youth organizations of political parties in Belgium (Flanders)

It has been claimed that the current decline in party membership indicates the demise of mass-based parties. Despite the fact that youth organizations within parties traditionally played an important role in the recruitment of party members, these organizations have never been studied systematically. A survey among city councillors in Belgium (Flanders) demonstrates that youth sections of political parties serve as crucial recruitment channels: 41 percent of all councillors started their political career in a youth organization. We provide evidence that youth membership offers substantial advantages in building a political career. Youth organizations lose members much more rapidly than parties in general, which might further contribute to the demise of political parties. This implies that in the future political parties will have to rely on alternative mechanisms to recruit members. The current crisis of youth organizations could imply that the downward trend in the number of party members will continue.