Amateurs and professionals at the 1972 Republican National Convention: seeking correlates of participatory political style

The twofold purpose of this thesis included the operationalization of a measure of participatory style and a quest for correlates of said style in several selected areas. Using survey data based upon the responses of 827 delegates to the 1972 Republican National Convention, this study developed a stylistic index which was finally structured into four categories of Amateur-Professional orientation.

The fourfold index was first cross-tabulated with several selected socio-economic variables and then compared to several variables directly related to party service longevity. The findings with respect to socio-economic variables largely confirmed the results of previous research which has failed to substantiate the existence of relationships between political style and such possible correlates. With respect to service longevity, findings indicated that the Amateur style is more prevalent among relative newcomers to political party activism.

The Amateur-Professional index was compared to three indices computed for each delegate and designed to tap preferences for material, solidary, and purposive incentives for maintenance of political activism. It was found that while the majority of all delegates manifested a strong preference for purposive incentives, such a preference was greatest among individuals of the Amateur orientation. Alternatively, such persons indicated the strongest distaste for material incentives. The hypothesis, which was formulated in accordance with the findings of previous research, was confirmed.

A comparison of the stylistic index with the intensity of views regarding current issues failed to confirm the hypothesis that while the content or direction of views or attitudes has not provided a basis of style differentiation, issue saliency well might.