Participation and Democracy East and West: Comparisons and Interpretations: Comparisons and Interpretations

Since Alexis de Tocqueville first made the linkage in his writings on America, a healthy democracy has been associated with the flourishing of civil society, as measured by popular participation in voluntary and civic activities and the vitality of organizations that mediate between the individual and the state. Eminent social scientists from Europe and North America take a fresh look at the vitality of civil society in the context of post-communist Eastern Europe, the West European welfare states, and the United States. This volume takes a fresh look at this classic theme in the context of post-communist Eastern Europe, the West European welfare states, and the United States, asking: -- What patterns of participation characterize the new democracies of Eastern Europe? -- What levels of civic activism are characteristic of contemporary Western democracies? -- What factors account for differences among countries and changing patterns over time? -- What do the findings suggest about the prospects for democracy in the 21st century?

Michal Illner is Director of the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and lectures at the Charles University of Prague Jody Jensen is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology, Budapest. She is the Executive Director of the Center for European Studies and Assistant Professor at the Daniel Berzsenyi College, Szombathely Ferenc Miszlivetz is Director of the Monus Illes Academy for Democratic Society and a Research Director at the Center for European Studies, Budapest Robert D. Putnam is Dillon Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University Bo Rothstein is the August Rohss Professor in Political Science at Gothenburg University Dietrich Rueschemeyer is Asa Messer Professor of Sociology at Brown University and Director of the Research Program in Political Economy and Development at Brown's Watson Institute for International Studies Marilyn Rueschemeyer teaches sociology in the Department of Special Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design and also teaches sociology at Brown University Andrzej Rychard is Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences Per Selle is Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Bergen and a Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Centre in Organization and Management Bjorn Wittrock is Lars Hierta Professor of Government at Stockholm University and Director of the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences at Uppsala Bernhard Wessels is Assistant Director of the research unit "Institutions and Social Change" at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB) and teaches political science at the Free University Berlin