Intra-Party Competition During District Candidate Selections in Germany: Causes, Consequences and the Selectorate’s View

Competition is a yardstick of intra-party democracy, which is stipulated in the German Basic law. Nevertheless, contested nomination conventions to choose district candidates for the 2017 Bundestag election weren’t the rule. Therefore, the paper focusses on causes, consequences and the selectorate’s view of intra-party competition. Using a mixed-method-approach, we firstly take a look at factors that might explain rivalry at membership and delegate conventions. In this context we also explore how competition is occasionally muted before it reaches the final decision stage on the basis of guided interviews. Secondly, we point out consequences of intra-party competition by examining whether the possibility to choose between different aspirants enhances participation at membership conferences. Thirdly, the paper investigates the selectorate’s attitudes towards intra-party competition by a representative survey conducted at the nomination events. Our analysis reveals that more overt competition would be both a practicable and an advisable instrument for parties to cope with internal and external challenges in hard times.