Pressures on Civil Society in Partial Democracies

Abstract

The focus of this study is on pressures experienced by NGOs in a particular type of regime: partial democracies. This chapter starts with a discussion about this category of political context. In the literature on democratization, partial democracies have been given different names, with most authors arguing that this type of regime should not be seen as “on its way” to a full or consolidated democracy, but rather a type of regime in its own right. There is, however, an ongoing debate about what makes a democracy partial. Where should the boundary between “full” democracies and “partial” democracies be drawn? What different subtypes of partial democracy can be distinguished? Using a broad definition of partial democracies, we understand them as regimes where civil and political rights are recognized in the constitution, but where the liberties are not fully guaranteed or respected in practice. In addition, we argue that in order to understand and analyze pressures on NGOs in partial democracies, it is necessary to take into account both the formal and informal sources of power in a society.