Abstract
The first chapter outlines the main goals, methodological foundations, and analytical framework of the book. It argues that several populist radical right parties (PRRPs), unlike many of their mainstream competitors, have continued to build mass organizations and to invest in the creation of communities of loyal partisan activists. The chapter explains the rationale behind the comparative case study approach adopted by the book, which focuses on four PRRPs that exhibit the core features of mass parties: the League for Salvini Premier (Italy), the Vlaams Belang (Belgium), the Finns Party (Finland), and the Swiss People’s Party/Democratic Union of the Centre (Switzerland). It continues by outlining the study’s methodology: extensive semi-structured interviews with party elites and members, complemented by an analysis of a variety of primary and secondary (party) sources. The aim is to gain an understanding of how these PRRP organizations work, and specifically to identify both the elites’ and members’ perceptions about the functioning, advantages, and disadvantages of the mass party model. Based on this, the book reconsiders existing theories of political participation, party development, and party organization. The chapter ends with highlighting key findings of the study and comparative conclusions.