Encarnacion makes the controversial argument that a strong civil society and social capital are not necessary to enhance either democratization or the stability of a new democracy. Tracing the development of the concept "civil society," he argues that what matters are the political institutions existing in a state and the strategies and decisions of political leaders. The importance of these are examined through careful case studies of Brazil, where a strong civil society was not critical in the transition to democracy and has not led to a robust democracy, and Spain, where a weak civil society neither prevented the transition nor strong democratic institutions.
CITATION STYLE
Encarnación, O. G. (2003). The Myth of Civil Society. The Myth of Civil Society. Palgrave Macmillan US. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403981646
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