Although authoritarian countries often repress independent citizen
activity, lobbying by civil society organizations is actually a
widespread phenomenon. Using case studies such as China, Russia,
Belarus, Cambodia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Turkey, and Zimbabwe,
Lobbying the Autocrat shows that citizen advocacy organizations
carve out niches in the authoritarian policy process, even
influencing policy outcomes. The cases cover a range of autocratic
regime types (one-party, multi-party, personalist) on different
continents, and encompass different systems of government to
explore citizen advocacy ranging from issues such as social
welfare, women’s rights, election reform, environmental
protection, and land rights. They show how civil society has
developed adaptive capacities to the changing levels of political
repression and built resilience through ‘tactful contention’
strategies. Thus, within the bounds set by the authoritarian
regimes, adaptive lobbying may still bring about localized
responsiveness and representation.However, the challenging
conditions of authoritarian advocacy systems identified throughout
this volume present challenges for both advocates and autocrats
alike. The former are pushed by an environment of constant threat
and uncertainty into a precarious dance with the dictator: just the
right amount of acquiescence and assertiveness, private persuasion
and public pressure, and the flexibility to change quickly to suit
different situations. An adaptive lobbyist survives and may even
thrive in such conditions, while others often face dire
consequences. For the autocrat on the other hand, the more they
stifle the associational sphere in an effort to prevent mass
mobilization, the less they will reap the informational benefits
associated with it. This volume synthesizes the findings of the
comparative cases to build a framework for understanding how civil
society effectively lobbies inside authoritarian countries.
General
Imprint: |
The University of Michigan Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies |
Release date: |
July 2023 |
Editors: |
Max Grömping
• Jessica C. Teets
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152mm (L x W) |
Pages: |
352 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-472-05590-6 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-472-05590-9 |
Barcode: |
9780472055906 |
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