THE MYTH OF A DENSE CIVIL SOCIETY: BARRANQUILLA AS A CASE STUDY
Open Access
Author:
Garcia, Alexandra
Graduate Program:
Political Science
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
February 08, 2004
Committee Members:
Gretchen G Casper, Committee Chair/Co-Chair David Joel Myers, Committee Member Frank Baumgartner, Committee Member John Spicer Nichols, Committee Member
Keywords:
civil society democracy public policy-making local politics NGOs Barranquilla Colombia.
Abstract:
This work addresses the relationship between civil society and democracy. Neo-Tocquevellian scholars posit that a dense and vibrant civil society is positively correlated with the quality of democracy therefore, by increasing the number of groups and associations in a particular society, we will be fostering democratic consolidation. However, in some societies like Colombia, we find a negative correlation between number of groups and democracy. In this work I contend that scholars fail to consider the actual effect that groups and associations have on democracy, as many groups that exist are not able to participate in the process of policy-making. Using survey analysis, interviews, participatory observation and content analysis, I study this topic by centering the analysis on three main political actors: the political or ruling elite, civil associations, and the mass public. My findings indicate that an organized, strong and able civil society, together with an open and accessible local government are necessary – but not sufficient- conditions for democratic consolidation.
