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Civil society in times of change: Shrinking, changing and expanding spaces and the need for new regulatory approaches

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  • Anheier, Helmut K.
  • Lang, Markus
  • Toepler, Stefan

Abstract

The relationship between many G20 governments and organized civil society has become more complex, laden with tensions, and such that both have to find more optimal modes of engagement. In some instances, state-civil society relations have worsened, leading some experts and activists to speak of a 'shrinking space' for civil society. How wide-spread is this phenomenon? Are these more isolated occurrences or indeed part of a more general development? How can countries achieve and maintain an enabling environment for civil society? The authors suggest that much of the current impasse results foremost from outdated and increasingly ill-suited regulatory frameworks that fail to accommodate a much more diverse and expanded set of civil society organizations (CSO). In response, they propose a differentiated model for a regulatory framework based on functional roles. Based on quantitative profiling and expert surveys, moreover, the paper also derives initial recommendations on how governments and civil society could find ways to relate to each other in both national and multilateral contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Anheier, Helmut K. & Lang, Markus & Toepler, Stefan, 2019. "Civil society in times of change: Shrinking, changing and expanding spaces and the need for new regulatory approaches," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 13, pages 1-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifweej:20198
    DOI: 10.5018/economics-ejournal.ja.2019-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dupuy, Kendra & Ron, James & Prakash, Aseem, 2016. "Hands Off My Regime! Governments’ Restrictions on Foreign Aid to Non-Governmental Organizations in Poor and Middle-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 299-311.
    2. Anheier, Helmut K., 2017. "Civil society challenged: Towards an enabling policy environment," Economics Discussion Papers 2017-45, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Fox, Jonathan A., 2015. "Social Accountability: What Does the Evidence Really Say?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 346-361.
    4. Albertson, Kevin & Fox, Chris & LaBarbera, Jessica & O'Leary, Chris & Painter, Gary & Bailey, Kimberly, 2018. "Payment by Results and Social Impact Bonds," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9781447340706, Febrero.
    5. Anheier, Helmut K., 2017. "Civil society challenged: Towards an enabling policy environment," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 11, pages 1-20.
    6. Khaldoun AbouAssi & Angela Bies, 2018. "Relationships and resources: the isomorphism of nonprofit organizations’ (NPO) self-regulation," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(11), pages 1581-1601, November.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Anheier Helmut K. & Toepler Stefan, 2019. "Policy Neglect:The True Challenge to the Nonprofit Sector," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 10(4), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Alisa Moldavanova & Tamaki Onishi & Stefan Toepler, 2023. "Civil society and democratization: The role of service‐providing organizations amid closing civic spaces," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(1), pages 3-13, February.
    3. Katz Hagai & Gidron Benjamin, 2022. "Encroachment and Reaction of Civil Society in Non-liberal Democracies: The Case of Israel and the New Israel Fund," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 13(3), pages 229-250, July.
    4. Marsal Baraldi Pablo, 2024. "Beyond the Boomerang: From Transnational Advocacy Networks to Transcalar Advocacy in International Politics," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 15(2), pages 167-172, April.
    5. Simsa Ruth, 2022. "Changing Civic Spaces in the Light of Authoritarian Elements of Politics and the Covid Crisis – The Case of Austria," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 13(3), pages 211-228, July.
    6. Strachwitz Rupert Graf & Toepler Stefan, 2022. "Contested Civic Spaces in Liberal Democracies," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 13(3), pages 179-193, July.
    7. Helmut K. Anheier & Edward L. Knudsen, 2023. "The 21st century trust and leadership problem: Quoi faire?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(1), pages 139-148, February.
    8. Catarina Ianni Segatto & Mario Aquino Alves & Andrea Pineda, 2023. "Uncivil society and social policies in Brazil: The backlash in the gender, sexual, and reproductive rights and ethnic and racial relations fields," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(1), pages 60-69, February.
    9. Pawel Mikolajczak, 2021. "What affects employment by NGOs? Counteraction to precarious employment in the Polish non-profit sector in the perspective of COVID-19 pandemic crises," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(3), pages 761-788, September.
    10. Laszla KAKAI & Agnieszka BEJMA, 2022. "Legal and practical conditions of the functioning of the civil society organizations in Hungary and Poland," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 13, pages 120-140, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    civil society; NGOs; closing civic space; nonprofit regulation; G20;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F5 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • K33 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - International Law

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