The internal dynamics of political parties were a central concern for the founders of both organization theory and political sociology, yet contemporary research tends to neglect the importance and value of studying these electoral machines from a truly organizational point of view. The present issue seeks to remedy this shortcoming by allowing curious and creative scholars to reimagine what it might mean for organization scholars and activists alike to engage actively with political parties. While some contributions reflect on the idiosyncrasies of political parties in general, most articles and notes cultivate a so-called immersive approach to the study of party organization, in which the researcher ventures beyond the glossy surface of party propaganda in order to experience and analyze party organizing in practice rather than on paper. These ambitions yield fascinating accounts of parties such as Podemos, En Marche, DiEM25, Movimento 5 Stelle, the British Labour Party, as well as the German and Icelandic Pirate Party.
