Full Article: The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Political Reform

Publication date: Wednesday 20 October 2004

Elections are a necessary component of democracy, usually just the first step; it can and must serve as the foundation for a genuinely accountable, effective environment that promotes the rule of law and public participation in policy. The involvement of civil society is necessary to promote political reform. This paper takes a look at some lessons learned by IFES over the course of the past several years in integrating civil society into a democratic political process.