Democracy and the role of associations

About this book

"Recently, civil society has been celebrated as a solution to political apathy and cynicism towards representative democracy. This book, however, argues that the role of associations in and for democracy is only properly understood if we take the context into account." "The authors collected in this volume critically examine the crucial link between the associative sector and the health of democracy. Focusing on the role of context and using diverse approaches and empirical material, they explore whether these associations in differing socio-political contexts can sometimes undermine rather than reinvigorate democracy." "The book features empirical and comparative studies on the effects of associate democracy focusing on Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Ireland, European Union institutions and South America. It will interest students and researchers of social capital, civil society and associative democracy."--Jacket.