Civil Society and Political Change in Asia: Expanding and Contracting Democratic Space

This book is the first comprehensive, systematic investigation of the connection between civil society and political change in Asia—change toward open, participatory, and accountable politics. Its findings suggest that the link between a vibrant civil society and democracy is indeterminate: certain types of civil society organizations support democracy, but others have the potential to undermine it.

Further, the study argues that while civil society is a key factor in political change, demo...