Civil Society and Democratic Consolidation: A Theoretical Introduction

This article is offers a sociological analysis on the role of civil society in democratic consolidation. As the third phase in democratization process, democratic consolidation is considered the precondition for its successfulness. The Cosolidology studies are part of democratization literature which focus on democratic consolidation experience, its conditions and influent factors, as well as study of how democracy can be realized and completed in new emerging democracies. The special experience of Eastern Europe and Latin America in their democratization and democratic consolidation process brought about significant attention of academic researches to the role, contribution and impacts of civil society in democratic consolidation. The significant expansion of civil society organization in different levels and various areas, displays the necessity of addressing to potentials of civil society in paying the way of transition to democratic consolidation. In this regard, present article after a review on theoretical arguments on civil society and democratic consolidation, will focus on civil society impacts on consolidation of democracy, in terms of civil society relation with state, internal structure of civil society organization, effects of international and external factors.