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Declining levels of party membership in Western Europe are a response to the decreasing ideological differences between parties. Discuss whether this statement is empirically convincing.

Without a doubt it may be argued to a significant extent, that there has been a major long-term decline in party membership levels in all of the long-established democracies in Western Europe. For the purpose of this essay, firstly I intend to argue that the statement, declining levels of party membership in Western Europe are a response to the decreasing ideological differences between parties is empirically convincing, because in the last two decades we have witnessed, parties in Western Europe clearly lose their capacity to engage citizens in the way they once did, as a result of parties adopting more radical or more moderate approaches on key issues, thereby alienating members, ultimately leading to the decrease in psychological attachments held towards parties by voters. On the other-hand we might argue that factors such as increased levels of education, rising affluence and the diminishing relevance of class and religious identities to younger, well educated voters living in more secular societies, need to be taking into consideration as possible alternative explanations for declining levels of party membership in Western Europe. Finally, as a point of evaluation it would perhaps be accurate to look at the impact of declining levels of party membership on party politics in Western Europe, as reduced voter turnout and a general mistrust in the abilities of parties are likely consequences arising from decreasing party membership which negatively impact the motivations for citizens to participate in politics.

To a significant extent, it may be argued that the decline in party membership that has occurred within Western Europe over the last two decades is as a result of the decreasing ideological differences between political parties. This statement is not...