The Weakness of Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe

Seeks to explain the weakness of civil society in the countries of post-Communist Europe.

Marc Morjé Howard (Author)

9780521812238, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 March 2003

220 pages, 14 b/w illus. 22 tables
23.6 x 15.8 x 2 cm, 0.43 kg

'A wonderful book! Marc Howard has taken a subject we all care about … and written a major account of the problem. Drawing upon the systematic comparative evidence, including opinion polls and in-depth interviews … Howard demonstrates that the quality of democracy in these states is directly related to their citizens' experiences under communist rule. Among these experiences, Howard emphasizes the previous regimes' systemic inability to provide needed social and economic goods and the corresponding centrality of personal connections in addressing these needs. Although Howard's predictions about the post-communist future are by no means gloomy, he stands out among many observers in concluding that citizens' membership in public organizations and their participation in civic life will not necessarily grow in lock step with the improvement of political and economic conditions. I found the argument to be completely convincing.' A. James McAdams, University of Notre Dame

Over a decade has passed since the collapse of communism, yet post-communist citizens are still far less likely to join voluntary organizations than people from other countries. Why do post-communist citizens mistrust public organizations? What explains this pattern of weak civil society? And what does this mean for democracy in the region? This engaging study addresses these questions with a provocative argument about the enduring impact of the communist experience on its countries and citizens. Howard argues that the experience of mandatory participation in state-controlled organizations and vibrant private networks during the communist period, combined with the disappointment with post-communist developments, have left most citizens with a lasting aversion to public activities. Howard analyzes the findings from over 30 democratic countries on the World Values Survey and also presents extensive and original evidence from his own research, focused on Eastern Germany and Russia.

1. Introduction
2. An experiential approach to societal continuity and change
3. Civil society and democratization
4. An empirical baseline: post-communist civil society in comparative perspective
5. Explaining organizational membership: a statistical test of alternative hypotheses
6. Why post-communist citizens do not join organizations: an interpretive analysis
7. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP]