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‘Europeanizing’ Civil Society: NGOs as Agents of Political Socialization

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  • Alex Warleigh

Abstract

As a strategy for tackling the ‘democratic deficit’, attention is increasingly shifting towards the ‘Europeanization’ of civil society, the latter being traditionally viewed as a means both to limit state power and to promote intra‐citizenry solidarity. However, this attempted change requires in turn actors who are both able and willing to act as agents of political socialization in the context of EU policy‐making. This article examines the emphasis placed by both EU actors and the current academic literature on NGOs as such agents. Drawing on an analysis of similar claims made in development policy, I isolate the main indicators of NGOs' ability to foster the Europeanization of civil society via political socialization and put forward seven key tests of their ability to carry out this function in the EU context. These are then evaluated against the results of original empirical investigations. I argue that NGOs are currently unsuited to the task of Europeanizing civil society thanks to their inability to promote the political socialization of their supporters. As a consequence that task requires EU‐level institutional reform informed by iterated public dialogue, as well as change in the working practices of NGOs.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Warleigh, 2001. "‘Europeanizing’ Civil Society: NGOs as Agents of Political Socialization," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 619-639, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:39:y:2001:i:4:p:619-639
    DOI: 10.1111/1468-5965.00324
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    1. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/8523 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Albareda, Adrià & Fraussen, Bert, 2023. "The representative capacity of interest groups: explaining how issue features shape membership involvement when establishing policy positions," OSF Preprints dj54y, Center for Open Science.
    3. Robert Frith, 2008. "Cosmopolitan Democracy and the EU: The Case of Gender," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 56(1), pages 215-236, March.
    4. Sabine Saurugger, 2007. "Democratic ‘Misfit’? Conceptions of Civil Society Participation in France and the European Union," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 55(2), pages 384-404, June.
    5. Kröger, Sandra, 2008. "Nothing but consultation: The place of organised civil society in EU policy-making across policies," European Governance Papers (EUROGOV) 3, CONNEX and EUROGOV networks.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/8523 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Stijn Smismans, 2002. "Civil Society in European institutional discourses," Les Cahiers européens de Sciences Po 4, Centre d'études européennes (CEE) at Sciences Po, Paris.
    8. Oto Potluka & Lenka Svecova, 2019. "The Effects of External Financial Support on the Capacities of Educational Nonprofit Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-13, August.
    9. Rodekamp, Meike, 2010. "Representatives or experts? Civil society organizations in the EU's external relations," TranState Working Papers 137, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    10. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/8523 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Kendall, Jeremy, 2005. "Third sector European policy: organisations between market and state, the policy process and the EU," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 29007, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Vololona Rabeharisoa & Orla O'Donovan, 2013. "‘Europe of patients, Europe for patients’: the Europeanization of healthcare policies by European patients’ organizations," CSI Working Papers Series 030, Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation (CSI), Mines ParisTech.
    13. Cornelia Woll, 2006. "Lobbying in the European Union: From Sui Generis to a Comparative Perspective," Post-Print hal-01021182, HAL.
    14. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/8523 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Oliver Huwyler, 2020. "Interest groups in the European Union and their hiring of political consultancies," European Union Politics, , vol. 21(2), pages 333-354, June.
    16. Cornelia Woll, 2006. "Lobbying in the European Union: From Sui Generis to a Comparative Perspective," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01021182, HAL.
    17. Zhang, Xianchun & Sun, Yi, 2019. "Investigating institutional integration in the contexts of Chinese city-regionalization: Evidence from Shenzhen–Dongguan–Huizhou," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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