How does civil society contribute to democracy

Emphasis on civil society organizations! Gellner(1994): A set of “institutions, which is strong enough to counterbalance the state and, while not preventing the state from fulfilling its role of keepers of peace and arbitrator between major interests, can, nevertheless, prevent the state from dominating ….the rest of society.”

Emphasis on civil society organizations! Habermas (1992): “civil society is made up of more or less spontaneously created associations, organizations and movements that find, take up, condense and amplify the resonance of social problems…, and pass it on to the political realm or public sphere.”

Emphasis on civil society organizations! Dramatic Increase in the number of CS organizations! International funding for CS organizations “Associational Revolution” Agency, creativity, activity, productivity, freedom vs. Conformity, consumerism, passivity, privatization, coerciveness, determination, necessity

Tocqueville USA in the 1830s! “Nothing more deserves attention than the intellectual and moral associations in America. In democratic countries the knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others”

The 1980s and 1990s Resurrection, reemergence, rebirth, reconstruction, renaissance of civil society are heard repeatedly! WHY? Democratic oppositions in Central and Eastern Europe Society against the state; private life against public power; nation against the state; social order against political system.

Historical Development of the Relationship between CS organizations and Democracy 1. Period 2. Period (mid-1970s) 3. Period

CS in the Southern and Eastern Europe Poland Hungary East Germany Czechoslovakia

Robert Putnam: External and Internal Affect of CS Organizations Externally, They allow individuals to express their interests and demands to the government and to protect themselves from abuses of power by political leaders by increasing their collective voice uniting and directing the energies of divergent minds toward clearly formulated goals. Internally, associations, serve to informally educate people about democracy by teaching their members cooperation, public-spiritedness, and political skills that might help them assume roles in public life.

Civil Society and Citizens Roniger (1998) : Involvement in these associations’ activities empowers and substantiates citizens’ sense of autonomy and ability to participate and promote their interests within the organizational mechanisms of regulation. Goodhart (2005): Active participation helps citizens learn how - to cooperate and give priority to public (as opposed to private) ends - to create moderate public opinions, - to build social capital by giving cohesion to communities and amplifying citizens’ capabilities.

Democratic Functions of CS Organizations (1) Socialization functions: Participation develops social skills (2) Public and quasi-public functions: Associations might heal the sick, counsel the afflicted, educate both young and old (3) Representative or contestatory functions: civil society (a) enables different interests and viewpoints to be expressed in public (b) stimulates public debate (c) forces the state to work for public interest

Democratic Attributes and CS Organizations Provides a “kind of mutual identification that unites individuals dispersed by class, race, religion, ethnicity, or race” Membership in these groups often cuts across major social cleavages, and thereby promotes a sense of ‘horizontal connectedness’” among citizens Individuals acquire such cooperative virtues as “justice and fairness” and “broaden their moral horizons, and learn to consider the needs and interests of others”

Larry Diamond CS Organizations Limit the state power (means control of the state by society) (1) Stimulate political participation, (2) increase the political efficacy and skills of democratic citizens, and (3) promote an appreciation of the obligations as well as the rights of democratic citizenship Develop tolerance, moderation, and respect for opposing views

Larry Diamond Create channels other than political parties to articulate, aggregate, and represent interests Generate wide range of interests that may reduce polarities and conflict Disseminate information to aid citizens in their collective pursuit and defense of their interests and values Enhance the state’s accountability, responsiveness, inclusiveness, and effectiveness by giving citizens a reason to respect it and engage with it in a positive manner

Conditions Necessary for Democratic Functioning of CS Goals and methods Organizational Institutionalization Democratic self-government Pluralism Density

Social Capital Robert Putnam: “Features of social life – networks, norms, and trust – that enable the participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives.” Why is social capital important? Trust (what does research tell us?) Coordination and communication I  WE Tolerance, respect His Works: “Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy” “Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital”

Pamela Paxton: Social Capital It requires 1. an objective network of ties among individuals 2. ties should be based on trust and reciprocity

Pamela Paxton: Social Capital DURING TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY Social Capital as a Space for Discourse Social Capital and Collective Action FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF DEMOCRACY

What did Pamela Paxton find? How did she measure social capital? How did she measure democracy? Results: Social capital  More Democracy More Democracy  Social capital Does social capital always promote democracy? Bridging vs. Bonding Organizations (contact with other (reproducing existing others) conflicts, preventing exposure to new ideas)