Questions used in the efficacy analysis
Now we would like to ask you a few question about CDU Berlin.
Outwards, political parties try to attract voters. Inwards, parties organize processes of opinion formation and consultation among party members. Thinking about the these processes, to what degree do you agree with the following statements?
(A) As a member I have many opportunities to make my opinions heard.
(B) The party makes efforts in finding new ways to consult their members.
(1) strongly disagree, (2), (3) partly agree/partly disagree, (4), (5) strongly agree
Perception of referendum
Presumably, referendums promoted the sense of party-specific political efficacy only if it was perceived as unfair. This table provides some evidence on respondents’ perceptions of the referendum and shows that the majority of party members perceived the referendum as enrichment of the debate culture within the party. It is thus reasonable to conclude that a large majority considered the referendum process as valuable, rather than unfair or biased.
This implies, that referendums do not necessarily have positive secondary effects. Participatory events may also yield less desirable consequences. Oe might imagine detrimental effects of an intra-party referendum whose process is perceived as unfair and whose outcome is overruled by the party leadership
‘Referendum was enrichment’ (in percent)
| Share | |
| Strongly agree | 42 |
| Tend to agree | 32 |
| Neither / nor | 15 |
| Tend to disagree | 7 |
| Strongly disagree | 4 |