Organized Civil Society: A Cross-national Evaluation of Non-Governmental Organization Density on Governmental Corruption

Using a globally representative sample of nations between 1997 and 2004, I demonstrate that the presence of an active civil society works to decrease governmental corruption. The presence of a robust civil society holds governments accountable, informs its citizens, and provides a suitable outlet for people to voice their concerns and be heard. I analyze data using a pooled time-series, cross-sectional (TSCS) analysis. Results show that civil society strength has a significant impact on governmental corruption. These results remain significant when accounting for economic development, political institutions, and cultural-geographic controls. By emphasizing the role organized civil society plays in a broad sample of nations, this study refines our understanding of the role that non-state actors assume in the health and maintenance of their own societies. Consequently, this project demonstrates the importance of including the role of civil society in future studies of governmental corruption.