Lax decentralized membership rules let orthodox activists re-infiltrate a reformed party en masse

Evidence

By 1991, this problem was compounded by the return of the orthodox activists to the party, made possible by its lax and decentralized member registration. Given the minimal scrutiny of potential members and their views, orthodox activists began to return en masse beginning with the June 1990 elections. Without a central register of members, with no oversight by the regional organizations, and given the orthodox leanings of the local and regional party officials, these orthodox forces had no problems growing. — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 476

Categorization

• XREF: This is exactly the reader’s question about threat-hardened groups rejecting reformist correction — a communist party whose rank-and-file orthodox base swamps its reformist leadership. — connects to: Experienced orthodox lower-level activists lock out reformers from congress delegations — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past: The…, 465; Member-heavy parties get locked into orthodox stances that alienate the broader electorate — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past: The…, 687; Orthodox factions retained mass member support while reformist factions were expelled — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past: The…, 483 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Internal democracy reforms intended to broaden a party can empower its orthodox wing #corroborates (0.82) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 481
• Orthodox factions retained mass member support while reformist factions were expelled #exemplifies (0.80) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 483
• Member-heavy parties get locked into orthodox stances that alienate the broader electorate #contradicts (0.75) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 687
• Rank-and-file reform movements could not overcome orthodox regional party machines #responds-to (0.72) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 458
• Membership-retention policies backfired by expelling precisely the reformists who could modernize the party #contradicts (0.72) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 486
• A party that decentralizes power to stalwart regional organizations handicaps its post-transformation reform effort #complicates (0.70) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 461