According to Seyd and Whiteley (1998), activists played a key role in the 1997 Labour landslide victory. However considering the decline of party membership, the possibility to rely only on activists during election times is almost impossible (DALTON & WATTENBERG, 2002).
Our approach of constituency campaigning offers a more complex view of activists’ enrolment. In France as in the United-Kingdom, general elections are fought in single member constituencies. Scholars usually classify them in three types: Safe seats, marginal seats and hopeless seats. Considering this classification and the trajectories of the candidates, the role of activists in campaigning can be approached more precisely. In safe seats, numerous activists are usually engaged in the campaign but the division of political labour is clear, so they are often relegated to dirty work (leafleting, canvassing, etc.). In marginal seats, campaign teams count numerous activists. The candidate estimates that a huge team can make the difference and the feeling that they can change the electoral outcome motivates the activists. In hopeless seats, the activists tend to join other constituencies. However the remaining people campaign effectively to ensure the presence of their party. Finally, on a broader level, activists tend to join more active electoral campaigns and to leave others.
By the close scrutiny of their role in different campaign, the paper reveals a geographical opportunity structure for activists' involvement in campaigns.
This paper is based on a comparative study of electoral campaigns in around 60 British or French constituencies during the three last general elections. Fieldwork comprises interviews, archives and statistics made to approach the campaigns made by four parties (Union for a Popular Movement and Socialist Party in France, Labour and Conservative in the UK).
