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The democratic potential of politically and socially oriented CSOs : The case of North Macedonia

Ivanovska Hadjievska, Milka LU (2023) p.274-287
Abstract
The chapter investigates the democratic potential of politically and socially oriented civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage citizens and articulate citizens’ interests in the policymaking process in North Macedonia. To do so, the chapter reports on the responses of CSOs to a survey which sought information on the extent to which organizations involve members in organizational activities and internal decision-making processes. The survey also enquired about the engagement of the respondent CSOs in different types of political activities. Based on the interest group and civil society literature, and the specific conditions for CSOs in a small state like North Macedonia, politically oriented groups are more likely to contribute to... (More)
The chapter investigates the democratic potential of politically and socially oriented civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage citizens and articulate citizens’ interests in the policymaking process in North Macedonia. To do so, the chapter reports on the responses of CSOs to a survey which sought information on the extent to which organizations involve members in organizational activities and internal decision-making processes. The survey also enquired about the engagement of the respondent CSOs in different types of political activities. Based on the interest group and civil society literature, and the specific conditions for CSOs in a small state like North Macedonia, politically oriented groups are more likely to contribute to institutional democratic effects, while socially oriented CSOs are more likely to contribute to individual democratic effects. The results of the survey show that even though politically oriented CSOs comprise a smaller section of the population, they have greater democratic potential than socially oriented CSOs, possibly because the latter have fewer funds and human resources at their disposal. This suggests that the long-term investment by the European Union and foreign donors in CSO development in North Macedonia had a positive impact on the organizational capacities of politically oriented CSOs and on their democratic potential. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Handbook of Civil Society and Social Movements in Small States
pages
274 - 287
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85162944593
ISBN
978-100334153-6
978-103237714-8
DOI
10.4324/9781003341536-23
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
775d0e56-6d07-4508-936f-fa6ff2416789
date added to LUP
2023-02-09 15:44:21
date last changed
2024-04-20 01:52:19
@inbook{775d0e56-6d07-4508-936f-fa6ff2416789,
  abstract     = {{The chapter investigates the democratic potential of politically and socially oriented civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage citizens and articulate citizens’ interests in the policymaking process in North Macedonia. To do so, the chapter reports on the responses of CSOs to a survey which sought information on the extent to which organizations involve members in organizational activities and internal decision-making processes. The survey also enquired about the engagement of the respondent CSOs in different types of political activities. Based on the interest group and civil society literature, and the specific conditions for CSOs in a small state like North Macedonia, politically oriented groups are more likely to contribute to institutional democratic effects, while socially oriented CSOs are more likely to contribute to individual democratic effects. The results of the survey show that even though politically oriented CSOs comprise a smaller section of the population, they have greater democratic potential than socially oriented CSOs, possibly because the latter have fewer funds and human resources at their disposal. This suggests that the long-term investment by the European Union and foreign donors in CSO development in North Macedonia had a positive impact on the organizational capacities of politically oriented CSOs and on their democratic potential.}},
  author       = {{Ivanovska Hadjievska, Milka}},
  booktitle    = {{Handbook of Civil Society and Social Movements in Small States}},
  isbn         = {{978-100334153-6}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{274--287}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{The democratic potential of politically and socially oriented CSOs : The case of North Macedonia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003341536-23}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781003341536-23}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}