THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN DEMOCRACY
History of Democracy and the Civil Society
The Civil Society Centre at the London School of Economics defines the civil society as an uncompelled arena of collective action centered on values, purposes and shared interests. The civil society encompasses diverse actors, institutional forms and spaces which vary in the extent of power, formality and autonomy. In practice, the borders between the civil society, state, market and family are usually negotiated, blurred, and complex. In theory, there is a clear distinction between the institutional forms of the state, market and family. The civil society is comprised of professional associations, social movements, community groups, registered charities, women organizations, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, self-help organizations, foundations, environmental movements, think tanks, peace movements, human rights movements, advocacy and coalition groups. The concept of civil society arose at the inception of the modern era as a market capitalism and political economy theory inspired by the literary works of Rousseau, Hegel, Locke and Smith. The 1990s emergence of gender studies as a consequential aspect of scholarly innovation provided many approaches to embed the history of the civil society in public ideologies and private life. Today, the conceptions of the civil society are applied in relatively every aspect of the society such as politics, history and sociology where governing rules need to be molded.
Over time, democracy has had varied meanings and dimensions. For instance, in the modern era, the concept encompasses various approaches such as representative and deliberative approaches and constructions such as cosmopolitan and national democracy. There exists a common thread among these dimensions. Democracy refers to a condition in which people in a community have the freedom towards collective self-determination.
How the Civil Society and Democracy Work
Certain conditions are necessary for the development and working of the civil society democracy. Basically, the presence of various social arenas independent from the political arena or state is paramount for the viability of democratic regimes. However, it is essential that the representatives of the social arena have an access to and a thorough understanding of the key political arenas and also be a bit committed to them. Of importance to democracy then, is the establishment of a public arena that despite being autonomous is related to the State. Therefore, the interconnecting institutions or links most vital for democracy include key constitutional frameworks representing the political arena as the major juridical sectors and communication systems that regulate the flow of information relevant to the political arena. The continuous working and conformation of democratic institutions is dependent on the extent to which the interrelated public sectors give the social sector access to the political arena and the independence of corporate arrangements. The perception and implementation of the ideologies of the civil society determines the success of the process of developing a politically active and autonomous society. Therefore, there ought to be a relation between the general will and the will of all.
Democracy as a Product of Civic Activity
The civil society establishes andor empowers democracy by acting as the voice to stakeholders in various arenas of the society. This is essential to democracy in global governance. Civic associations offer opportunities for various social parties to express their views and send analysis and testimonials to governing agencies in both political and social sector s. The civil society stands in the gap between social circles and channels or sectors like the representative assembly. Civic activism thus strengthens various forces such as stakeholders and therefore directs politics towards a higher level of participatory democracy. Through certain sectors of the civil society, public education which is a necessity for the development and strengthening of democracy in various governance sectors is enhanced. Moreover, civic associations are key enhancers of the public understanding and awareness of regulatory institutions and laws.
The effectiveness of democracy is based on the extent to which the citizenry is informed. In most instances, the civil society educates the citizenry through workshops, mass media, handbooks, newsletters, information kits, school curricular and the internet. This makes an immense contribution to democracy. According to Adam, a major personality in the Scottish Enlightment where the concept of civil society was first used in the modern era, the civil society acts as the fulcrum where both collective and individual energies converge in a market economy founded on the recognition of private property as the basis for freedom. The civil society offers the public space necessary for the activities such as meeting, discussion and engagement of people with public policy and politics thus enhancing democracy.
The civil society is actively involved in civic mobilization. This promotes transparency in governance of both public and private sectors. The civil society mounts pressure on the governing bodies and helps to institute regulatory operations and frameworks in a manner which allows for public scrutiny. Civic associations also follow up the decision making process to ensure that they promote democracy. Public scrutiny of governance systems as enhanced by the civil society is an essential element for assuring that democracy persists and that it serves its purpose. The civil society through its various arenas promotes debate concerning the governing authorities. This is known to enhance democratic governance since such inhibited and vigorous discussion generates views of the ideal governance thus providing a basis for reviewing the system in place. The work of the civil society brings important methodologies, proposals and perspectives in the area of policy. The Washington Consensus is one such debate by civic groups that has contributed greatly to democracy. Policy discussion facilitates the implementation of democratic principles and policies that address the plight of all groups of people.
The civil society calls for the public accountability of various governing agencies. This includes monitoring the impacts of the policies in place. For instance, the independent evaluation mechanisms for the IMFs and the World Banks policies has been a success due to the activity and participation of civic actors. From a global governance perspective, the civil society promotes democracy by pressing for greater responsibility by various authorities with respect to policies and actions. Democracy in global relations is one of the major concerns of civic groups.
The working of various civic groups enhances legitimacy which is a basis for democratic governance. This also facilitates the engagement between global governance bodies and the civil society that in turn enhances democracy. The civil society provides a platform to seek change in occasions where the existing governance agency proves illegitimate or when there is dissatisfaction with these systems. Civic associations are important in promoting democratization within territories. For instance, various think tanks and NGOs are involved in lobbying for structural adjustments that are socially sustainable and that promote democracy. Other civic groups such as women movements are instrumental in democratization of states along gender lines through the help of various institutions and global laws.
Strengthening the Civil Society
Of importance to the establishment of a strong civil society is a clear conception about the working of the civil society and a clear understanding of the shortcomings that could hinder democracy. It is a rather delicate and difficult task to build a strong civil society. According to Barber, there are various ways through which legislative action can facilitate the development of a strong civil society. Reinforcing and enlarging the public space is one way. Use of advanced technology also plays a vital role in getting information across various public and social sectors and hence promotes communication which is an essential element in strengthening the civil society. Such technology also ensures that commercialization does not render the civic potential of the civil society ineffective.
Corporate involvement in civic activities is important as it ensures that citizens and managers in the corporate world are bound by the principles that promote civic diversification in the public arena. This enhances respect for the non-commercial character of the civil society. Moreover, corporate involvement enhances the participation of workers in the process of strengthening the civil society. Promotion of civic literacy on the importance of civic institutions for the purpose of building a strong democracy is necessary. Literacy also promotes the expansion of research on the basics of the civil society and democracy. This is a core approach in strengthening both democracy and the civil society.
Capacity building also facilitates the creation of a healthy civil society. Evaluation of the extent of democracy within the governing systems in place is vital for making the appropriate adjustment for improving the civil society.
Limitations of the Civil Society
Although an important force in democratization, civic activity may distract the working of the popular rule. In occasions where global governance agencies are ill-equipped in dealing with the inputs of the civil society, democracy is not realized. For instance, regulatory institutions may lack adequate funds, expertise, procedures or even the appropriate attitude to embrace the work of the civil society. In case the civil society lacks adequate representation, it might undermine democracy. This implies that if the civil society is to successfully accomplish its objectives, all concerned parties must have equal participation. The ability of the civil society to promote democracy is easily compromised if the various participants are disproportionately drawn from the various social sectors. The civil society may not always facilitate democratic principles despite the fact that the civil society is aimed at promoting value and civility. Some civic associations are driven by private interests and hence end up promoting undemocratic criteria within their activities.
Conclusion
The fact that positive intervention by an accountable, participatory and an adequately resourced civil society establishes greater democracy in governance is undeniable. However, some people are skeptical about the potential of the civil society to establish and promote democracy. The record maintained by the civil society in democratization efforts outweighs these challenges as it provides evidence of civic contribution to democracy. Experts warn that though the civil society is the means to achieving a good end, it is not to be mistaken for the end itself. The modern world has a lot to offer the citizenry through democratic governance but the challenges for the same are still prevalent. This is because the civil society may not be the complete answer to deficits in democracy. However, current trends in governance are very supportive of the concept of civil society and this is making an immense contribution in strengthening the civil society.
Civic associations are of great importance in the advancement of transparency, accountability, public education, policy debate, public space and increasing the democratic legitimacy within governance systems. Efforts for improvement require not only civic contribution but also the capacity and will to change both the market circles and official quarters. The challenges to the civil society such as undemocratic criteria or consequences are only but a caution that the civil society ought to be handled with care to ensure that the promise for democracy is kept. The civil society thus remains to be the basis for a free and democratic world.
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