The Myth of Civil Society: Social Capital and Democratic Consolidation in Spain and Brazil (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781403962263)

Almost irrespective of the geographic setting, the debate about the future of democracy in post-authoritarian societies is increasingly tied to the strength of civil society. A strong civil society is thought to be crucial to the emergence of successful democracies while a weak civil society is deemed the cause of flawed or frozen democracies. Using contrasting evidence from Spain and Brazil, this study challenges these widespread assumptions about contemporary democratization. It argues that it is the performance of political institutions rather than the configuration of civil society that determines the consolidation of democratic regimes.

Author: O. Encarnación
ISBN-10: 140396226X
ISBN-13: 9781403962263
Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
Language: English
Published: 11/13/2003
Pages: 233
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.86lbs
Size: 8.66h x 5.54w x 0.73d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 10/01/2004 pg. 364