Problems of Measurement of the Relationship Between Civil Society and Democracy When Using Survey Data

Giovanna Maria Dora Dore () and Karl D. Jackson ()
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Giovanna Maria Dora Dore: Johns Hopkins University
Karl D. Jackson: Johns Hopkins University

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2020, vol. 149, issue 1, No 7, 155-166

Abstract: Abstract Over the last three decades, it has become accepted wisdom that membership in civil society organizations enhances civic participation and encourages democratic outcomes. The attraction of the hypothesis grows from the universal power of its predictions. Similar concentrations of membership in civil society should create corresponding pressures for democratization in the United States, Asia or Europe. Utilizing data from 37 national level surveys in eight countries, this article finds that the quality of the data is insufficient to substantiate long-term trends or cross-country comparisons regarding the impact of associational membership on democratization. Methodological flaws in sampling and interviewing preclude validation of theories about the relationship between civil society and democracy.

Keywords: Civil society; Survey research; Associational membership; Asia; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-019-02235-4

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