ABSTRACT
The average age of a local councilor is approximately 50 years of age, and finding young local councilors can
often be a challenging task. In 2001 the proportion of 18-29 year olds on local councils was just 3% and only
4% in 2005. This thesis examines why some young people defy this trend and stand in local council
elections. It examines what influences young people, both in positive and negative ways, to try and attempt
to become an elected council member, and explores how young people manage local politics. This thesis
focuses on the following questions:
- Why do young people choose to stand in local council elections?
- What is the view of young local politicians working in local politics?
The theoretical framework which this thesis utilizes is the recruitment theory put forward by Pippa Norris,
Karl Henrik Bentzon and Ulrik Kjær. Recruitment theorists consider and analyze political recruiting from an
individual perspective and describe the recruitment models of how individuals undergo a series of stages
from constituent to an elected politician. Recruitment depends on the availability of candidates and
gatekeepers the demand for candidates. Ulrik Kjær characterizes the candidature phase as the most
important of the three phases. He does so because the candidature phase is the phase which excludes most
potential politicians, and because it is during this stage the socio-demographic under-representation is
formed. To describe what is essential during the candidature phase Kjær has developed a model (Figure 4)
which illustrates which factors affect a constituent's chances of becoming a candidate.
Figure 4:
Factors likely to affect the likelihood that a given constituent running as a candidate (Kjær 2000, p. 82).
Voter’s resources
Voter’s motivation
Factors which
are crucial in
the selection of
a candidate
søg
The situation
Additionally, this thesis incorporates Weber's theory on why people choose politics as a career and
Anthony Gidden’s theory of modernity and self identity which furthermore illustrates the candidates'
motivation to run for local council.
This thesis’ questions are examined methodically by exploring and examining the perspective of young
people who are candidates or have been candidates for a local council. A qualitative interview study of
young local politicians in Fyn was undertaken to highlight their experience of managing local politics. It
examines what influenced them to choose to run for municipal council and how their management of local
politics has been. Lastly, a television series was produced featuring three young people who have chosen to
stand for local elections.
The answer to the first part of the problem statement: Why do young people stand in local council
elections? is that the young local politicians chose to run for municipal elections because they possessed an
active interest in politics, they expected to influence society by sitting on the local council, they had
ambitions for a full time political career, or because they expected to get other personal benefits from the
job. The young politicians had the resources to run because their network supported them and their
educational background gave them the confidence to run for office. Many of the young politicians had a
background in youth political organizations, which gave them the necessary skills to cope with their
candidacy in the local election. The only factor which acted as a barrier for one group of the young
politicians was that they had concerns about whether they could find enough time to fulfill their role as a
local council member and at the same time finish their education or take care of their family. These
concerns were particularly evident with young women with small children.
The answer to the second part of the problem statement: What is the view of young politicians working in
local politics? is that most young local politicians’ experiences with local politics are positive. They feel that
they are able to influence policy and that they are developing personally through their involvement with
the local council. Most of the young people are satisfied with the cooperation with the local council
members from other parties, the cooperation with their party group and the cooperation with their party
organization. Cooperation improved if there were many young people on the local council. Time is the
greatest barrier to the young local politicians in attempting to seek re-election. In particular, the young
women found it difficult to combine a happy family life with being a member of the local council; they
found that the local council's meetings fit very poorly with maintaining a good family life. Most young
people seek re-election for the local council because they cannot leave because they want to see their work
finished, or because they feel an obligation to their party to stand again.