Not for fame or fortune - A note on membership and activity in the Canadian Reform Party

Although the party systems of contemporary mature democracies are very resi lient, the failure of new parties to become major actors on the political s tage is not preordained. Founded only a decade ago, the Reform Party has pl ayed a significant role in reshaping Canada's national party system. Using data from a large representative national survey, this paper investigates t he beliefs, attitudes and behavior of members of Reform. Most Reformers joi ned their new party in response to purposive incentives, multivariate analy ses indicating that such incentives are significant elements in a larger se t of factors encouraging members to work actively for their new party. The ability of purposive incentives, rather than the lures of 'fame and fortune ', to attract members and stimulate them to work on the party's behalf give s Reform important organizational advantages in its efforts to solidify and expand its position in the national party system.