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Civil Society (China (everyone) (Political activists had basically no…
Civil Society
China (everyone)
Political activists had basically no influence until the 1990s when Beijing started allowing NGOs to register with the govt
Although Christianity and Buddhism have made a comeback after years of communist suppression, the govt still keeps close control of these groups (ex: 1999-2001 crackdown on religious group Falon Gong)
Hu Jintao announced a policy of " harmonious development that allows the state to solicit public opinion before expanding the country's infrastructure. many still complain the government lacks transparency because they plan too late.
Fang-shou: a letting go and tightening up cycle (ex: after Tiananmen Square protest, govt heavily restricted civil society)
This article discusses the relationship between foreign companies and the mandatory All-China Federation of Trade Unions, which has a monopoly on trade unions in China. https://www.economist.com/node/11848496
Communications through cellphones, fax machines, and the internet have all made it harder for the party-state to monitor its citizens
State corporatism: most organizations are created by the state, and many have govt officials as their leaders
The state restricts the number of interest groups by only allowing one organization for any given profession or activity
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In the last 25 years, China has gone from having virtually no independent interest groups to having more than 300,000 NGOs
UK (Neela)
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Currently, about 20 financial service companies have signed up to an industry task force which aims to boost social impact testing in the UK. This was commissioned by the government
There is a long established base of civil society organisations in the UK including trade unions and charities. The teachers’ union movement has been active in the country for over a century
The United Kingdom is the birthplace of and an important source of funding for many internationally renowned developmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Sources of their funding range from government agencies like the Department for International Development (DFID) to private individuals
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Many UK citizens have considered the "popular mass movement model" the model which should be used to implement change within the British civil society.
this is inspired by the activism, volunteerism and social enterprises within nordic countries https://data.ncvo.org.uk/a/almanac17/what-is-civil-society-4/
Recently, a renewed focus on the essential contribution of civil society to a resilient global system alongside government has emerged
Iran (Sabine)
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The Iranian government infamously suppressed civil society during the 2009 protests following the presidential election, where a young Iranian woman was killed by government forces.
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Under Khatami, government funding and other measures to support volunteer activity, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and civic groups were enacted until some blocked liberalization efforts and unleashed the Basij to suppress civic gatherings and demonstrations, especially those of the rising student movement.
The advent of the Internet has allowed for a larger civil society to form because Iranian citizens can communicate with people of other countries and have more access to information.
Ahmadinejad describes NGOs as a “Western” phenomenon and a risk to national security and has tried to have them removed by Islamic councils,
Article 27 of the constitution grants the right to peaceful assembly but limits this right to “public gatherings and marches…that are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.” Gatherings are often denied on this basis.
This photo is from recent protests in Iran that have been allowed to continue for months seemingly without government intervention.
Nigeria (Abi)
Most Nigerians have low level trust in their gov't. Nigerians are in general are skeptical about the prospects for democracy.
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Nigerian citizens have voted in national elections since 1959, but many elections since then have been cancelled by the military and others have been fraudulent. Because of all the corruption and fraud that happens during elections it is very hard to track voter behavior. As years have gone by voter turnout has gone down, it was 44% in 2015 partly because of Boko Haram
Since the return of democracy, many ethnic based and religious movements have mobilized to pressure the federal gov't to address their complaints.
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Many formal interest groups and informal voluntary associations have actively sought to influence political decisions. Since 1999 many have strengthened, some serving as centripetal forces, encouraging Nigerian unity, and others creating centrifugal influences causing Nigeria to fragment along ethnic and religious lines.
The people of Nigeria have huge challenges in establishing democratic ties with their gov't. One being the many cleavages within the country, the important ones based on ethnicity, religion, region, urban/rural differences, and social class.
Nigeria's many civic and religious groups were driven underground by military rule, but have been revived. They freely criticized the gov'ts handling of the 2007 election. They pushed for reform for the elections that followed, with a fair degree of success.
Mexico (Kaya)
Political participation has been characterized by protest and revolution, but recently Mexican citizens were generally subjects under authoritarian rule
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In years past, Mexican citizens have been seen to participate in their government through the patron-client system
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The PRI controlled elections on a local, state, and national level. Voting rates were very high because the patron-client system required political support in exchange for favors.
Factors that tend to effect voter behavior is based off region, and poverty/marginalization
the PRI practiced state corporatism with the state mediating among different groups to ensure that no one group successfully can challenge the government.
PRI downfall started with discontented businessmen who were not incorporated into the governments system.
Russia (Natalie)
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Lack of participation is evidenced by only about 1% of Russians report belonging to a political party.
State corporatist arrangement: during Soviet era, only state-sponsored interest groups were allowed
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New laws created in 2012 put pressure on nonprofit groups to restrict foreign financing, severely hindering these groups' capabilities.
Glasnost in early 1980s helped civil society emerge; since that time a variety of organizations have formed with opinions on the environment, ethnicity, human rights, gender, and health care
Voter turnout is relatively high, yet other forms of political participation is low: most Russians don't attend church regularly nor do they belong to sports/recreational groups, literary/cultural clubs, charitable organizations, or labor unions
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