The myth of civil society : social capital and democratic consolidation in Spain and Brazil / Omar G. Encarnación.

1st ed.

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

1 online resource. (ix, 233 pages)

Access is available to the Yale community.

Access restricted by licensing agreement.

Encarnacíon makes the controversial argument that a strong civil society and social capital are not necessary to enhance either democratization or the stability of a new democracy. Tracing the development of the concept "civil society," he argues that what matters are the political institutions existing in a state and the strategies and decisions of political leaders. The importance of these are examined through careful case studies of Brazil, where a strong civil society was not critical in the transition to democracy and has not led to a robust democracy, and Spain, where a weak civil society neither prevented the transition nor strong democratic institutions.

Palgrave political & international studies collection 2004.

Print version: Encarnación, Omar Guillermo, 1962- Myth of civil society. 1st ed. New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003

Books / Online

English

April 19, 2018

Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-222) and index.