Which Characteristics of Civil Society Organizations Support What Aspects of Democracy? Evidence from Post-communist Latvia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6299671 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anders Uhlin (0000-0002-3428-9573, Lund University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 271-295 |
| Publication date | 2009-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Political Science Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0192-5121 • E-ISSN: 1460-373X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0192512109105639 |
| OpenAlex | W2055568095 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 26 |
This article reconsiders the argument that civil society promotes democracy. Both the independent variable of civil society and the dependent variable of democracy are disentangled. Several hypotheses on what characteristics of civil society organizations (CSOs) promote what aspects of democracy are tested using survey data including 500 CSOs in post-communist Latvia. The regression analysis shows that organizational characteristics (such as the field of activity, extent of political activities, and number of members) have a stronger effect on democracy than have relational characteristics (such as the degree of open recruitment and autonomy). Certain characteristics of CSOs can be supportive of some democratic functions but constitute obstacles to other aspects of democracy. It is possible to distinguish between an advocacy civil society, which is vital for the institutional aspects of democracy through performing the functions of interest articulation and checking state power, and a recreational civil society, which may strengthen democracy through the fostering of support for democratic values and increasing individual capacity for political participation
Autonomy · Civil society · Communism · Democracy · Political science · Politics · Representative democracy · Sociology · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Public Administration · Religion and Society Interactions · Social Capital and Networks
Civil Society's Democratic Potential
Their Members’ Voice
NGO Goal-Setting/Attainment and Perceptions of Benefits Derived within the Framework of the Unecosoc Consultative Status Program
Revisiting civil society in Turkey
Sociedad civil y poder político en República Dominicana
The Structure and Culture of Post-Communist Civil Society in Latvia
Selective or Generic Activism? Types of Participants, Political Action Repertoires and Mobilisation Capacity in a Post-Communist Society
A Quantitative Analysis of Policy and Sociocultural Advocacy Within a Neo-corporatist Context
Czech civil sector face-to-face with freelance activism
Do Voluntary Associations Matter for the Spread of Civic Activism in Russia? Matching Technique Applied to Survey Data
Civil society versus nationalizing state? Advocacy of minority rights in the post-socialist Baltic states
Pluralism and proportionality in the representation of European international civil society within the UN framework
Macro-Regional Patterns of CSO Affiliation/Participation within the UN-Civil-Society Framework
National democratization theory and global governance
Russian welfare reform and social NGOs
Holding the state at bay
Democracy and Association
Bowling Alone
The Weakness of Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe
The Dubious Link
Democratization
Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation
Making civil society work, promoting democratic development
Political support in the baltic states, 1993–2004
Political participation in Latvia 1987–2001
Making Democracy Work
Bad Civil Society
Liberal Democracy and the Limits of Democratization
A Boon or a Bane? The Role of Civil Society in Third- and Fourth-Wave Democracies
The Paradox of Civil Society
Democratizing Civil Society in Latin America
Latvia
Rethinking civil society
Civic Responsibility and Patterns of Voluntary Participation Around the World
Rethinking Civil Society
Civil Society and the Consolidation of Democracy in Spain
Social Capital and Democracy
Social Capital and Democracy
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2024 (15) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 16 |