Civil Society Engagement and Policy

In a new study in Comparative Political Studies Anne Rasmussen and Stefanie Reher study whether civil society engagement enhances the link between public opinion and policy. In other words: does joining (politically active) voluntary associations make it more likely that policy is in line with the preferences of the public? To answer this question, they analyse 20 specific policy issues in 30 European countries and find that civil society engagement does improve policy representation: on issues with a high level of associational engagement there is a stronger relationship between public opinion and policy. Curious to learn more? The study is open access so you don’t need a subscription to read it!