2026/06/15 by Anna-Sophie Heinze · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Social Media and Politics #Gender Politics and Representation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1755773926100563
Abstract Party youth wings (PYWs) are often portrayed as marginal actors within political parties, yet we know little about how they themselves pursue policy-seeking strategies inside their mother parties. This article presents a qualitative case study of PYWs in Germany, examining how German PYWs advance policy-related positions within their parties and how their strategic repertoires are shaped by organisational conditions. It develops a conceptual framework for analysing PYW policy-seeking strategies centred on three party-organisational dimensions: formal organisation, mobilisation potential, and leadership. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with selected PYW leaders across Germany and an analysis of official documents, the study compares different PYWs within a single national party system to explore how formal and informal channels for articulating youth interests are combined. Rather than assessing the effectiveness of these strategies, the study highlights how distinct organisational constellations are associated with different modes of policy-seeking within parties. The findings suggest that mobilisation capacity and leadership-based informal access feature prominently in PYWs’ strategic self-understandings, often taking precedence over formal participatory rights. While empirically grounded in the German case, the article contributes to research on intra-party democracy, youth representation, and party change by clarifying how PYWs navigate opportunities and constraints within party structures.