The Relationship Between Voluntary Associations and Civic Engagement in Russia
Testing the Neo-Tocquevillian Perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22201701 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ruslan S Mukhametov (Ural Federal University, corresponding author), Р С Мухаметов (0000-0002-5175-8300, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 891-913 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Changing Societies and Personalities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2587-6104 • E-ISSN: 2587-8964 |
| Publisher | Ural Federal University (PUBLISHER • RU) |
| DOI | 10.15826/csp.2025.9.4.358 |
| OpenAlex | W7117451803 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 56 |
This study examines the relationship between citizens’ participation in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their civic engagement in the Russian context. The research addresses why some individuals actively participate in political life while others remain disengaged, drawing on the neo-Tocquevillian tradition that views NGOs as “schools of democracy.” Based on this theoretical framework, several hypotheses are formulated regarding the impact of NGOs and government-organized NGOs (GONGOs) on different forms of civic activity, including electoral participation, protest behavior, and voluntary donations. The empirical basis of the analysis is provided by the seventh wave of the World Values Survey involving a representative sample of 1,810 respondents from the Russian Federation who were interviewed in 2017. Methodologically, the study employs regression analysis, incorporating dependent variables (indicators of civic engagement), independent variables (participation in NGOs), and control variables (sociodemographic and value characteristics). The findings demonstrate that participation in GONGOs is positively associated with electoral activity and the volume of donations but shows no significant effect on protest behavior. When operationalized in binary form, trade union membership is linked to reduced electoral participation and decreased donations to independent organizations. Women’s associations exhibit no statistically significant influence on civic engagement. The study concludes that the type and the institutional character of NGOs determine their impact on civic participation, redistributing citizens’ resources toward institutionalized and state-sanctioned forms of activity
Civic engagement · Operationalization · Politics · Turnover · Variables · Voluntary association · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Social Capital and Networks
Spiral of Cynicism
A Virtuous Circle
Processing Politics
The Mediating Path to a Stronger Citizenship
Bowling alone
Dynamics of Contention
What Do We Mean By “Civic Engagement”
A New Engagement
Making Democracy Work
Effects of Materialist Values and Work Centrality on Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Media in the Game of Politics
Communication power struggles on social media
Conceptualizing government-organized non-governmental organizations
Making a Difference? NGOs and Civil Society Development in Russia
The Foreign Within’
Post-Soviet Civil Society Development in the Russian Federation
The Non-profit Sector in Today’s Russia
From Civic Participation to Political Participation
Which Voluntary Organizations Function as Schools of Democracy? Civic Engagement in Voluntary Organizations and Political Participation
The Evolution of Civic Activism in Contemporary Russia
Explaining Labor Weakness in Post-Communist Europe
Does Civic Participation Stimulate Political Activity
Организованные правительством неправительственные организации (Gongo)
Voice and Equality
Schools of democracy? Disentangling the relationship between civic participation and political action in 17 European countries
The Spiral of Cynicism Reconsidered
Nashi, Youth Voluntarism, and Potemkin NGOs
Nonprofits as Civic Intermediaries
Citizenship and Civic Engagement
Using civil society as an authoritarian legitimation strategy
Mass Media Effects
Civil Society and Political Participation
The concept and determinants of civic engagement
Political participation and civic engagement
Curbing protest through elite co-optation? Regional protest mobilization by the Russian systemic opposition during the ‘for fair elections’ protests 2011–2012
Civic Engagement, Social Capital, and Economic Cooperation
Civic Engagement and Associationalism
Contingent Symbiosis and Civil Society in an Authoritarian State
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |