Роль громадянського суспільства у процесах демократизації

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the views of contemporary world-class experts on the evaluation of the role of the third sector in the democratization processes (G. White, F. Heinrich, R. Putnam, 5. Stepan, L. Fioramonti, etc.). As a result, both constructive and destructive potentials of civil society are revealed. It is argued that the third sector, as a rule, has a positive effect on the dynamics of democratic transformations, as it represents a variety of social interests and values that are systematically protected by institutionalized organizations and leads to the merging of social unity, overcoming social contradictions and dissatisfaction. At the same time, civil society contributes to the growth of the level of political education of citizens, the improvement of their political consciousness and culture, respectively – the participatory position in the processes of elaboration and adoption of socio-political decisions. Thus, synchronization of the forces of the state and third sectors occurs. That is why, with democratization, there is an awareness of the need for a transition to a new governance model in the state (good governance) based on such principles as participation, consensus, accountability, transparency, responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness, equity and inclusiveness, and respect for the rule of law. The negative effects of civil society activities are primarily related to the activities of such organizations that were formed to promote racism and fundamentalism, and so on. The constructive potential of civil society is expediently disclosed just under democratic political regime. But the interaction of the state and the third sector can have different manifestations. In particular, in some cases, the state abandons the large social sector of policy in favor of the activities of the third sector organizations; in others – the state interacts with the institutes of the CS on the basis of corporate agreements, in which the spheres and resources of the former are identified by the latter; in other cases, the state restores its social responsibility and retains control over the majority of social measures; in some cases, the state simply neglects the social responsibility associated with its role.