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In Sizing Civil Society, Wording and Format Matter

Author

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  • Karl D. Jackson

    (Johns Hopkins University)

  • Giovanna Maria Dora Dore

    (Johns Hopkins University)

Abstract

For six decades the civil society and democracy thesis has generated great interest. How dependably can the relationship of associational membership to democracy be demonstrated empirically? Using a data set derived from 37 national surveys in eight countries, this article finds that the questions used commonly to measure civil society are unreliable or simply measure different things, thereby imperiling the assumed universal and robust relationship between civil society membership and democracy. By emphasizing problems related to question wording, this article intends to prompt the profession to improve and standardize measurement of membership in civil society organizations to determine whether this tantalizing hypothesis has the powerful predictive value ascribed to it by the field of comparative politics.

Suggested Citation

  • Karl D. Jackson & Giovanna Maria Dora Dore, 2021. "In Sizing Civil Society, Wording and Format Matter," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 983-994, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:155:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-021-02623-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-021-02623-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marc Morjé Howard & Leah Gilbert, 2008. "A Cross‐National Comparison of the Internal Effects of Participation in Voluntary Organizations," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 56(1), pages 12-32, March.
    2. Stolle, Dietlind & Hooghe, Marc, 2005. "Inaccurate, Exceptional, One-Sided or Irrelevant? The Debate about the Alleged Decline of Social Capital and Civic Engagement in Western Societies," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(1), pages 149-167, January.
    3. Mullinix, Kevin J. & Leeper, Thomas J. & Druckman, James N. & Freese, Jeremy, 2015. "The Generalizability of Survey Experiments," Journal of Experimental Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 109-138, January.
    4. Marc Morjé Howard & Leah Gilbert, 2008. "A Cross-National Comparison of the Internal Effects of Participation in Voluntary Organizations," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 56, pages 12-32, March.
    5. Giovanna Maria Dora Dore & Karl D. Jackson, 2020. "Problems of Measurement of the Relationship Between Civil Society and Democracy When Using Survey Data," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 155-166, May.
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