Democratic Reform and Civil Society

Abstract

Theories of democratic consolidation often focus on the role a democratically committed civil society plays in deepening democracy without considering the reasons some groups in civil society are successful while others fail in that endeavor. To more precisely identify the contribution civic groups make, scholars should address both positive and negative outcomes of civic activism aimed at reform. While resource mobilization and political process theories note that success hinges on the differing abilities of civic groups to organize in ways that maximize their leverage over available resources and to mobilize potential participants in the movement, this study of civic groups in Korea shows that what matters most in determining success is not solely how civic groups are organized. The way civic groups convey their message seems to be the decisive factor determining whether their activism leads to democratic reform. This finding - that how civic groups frame their protest helps determine success - can help us more accurately differentiate democratically committed civic group contributions to democratic deepening. This will in turn help us better understand the direction and tempo of that deepening in third-wave democracies. The added emphasis on framing will also result in a more precise theoretical understanding of the relationship between democratic deepening and civil society.