CSO Actor |
Formality |
Autonomy |
Power |
NGOs |
Variable. Usually a vertical and hierarchical structure. Ranges from bureaucratic and corporate to smallscale and informal. The latter is more widespread.
|
Financial: variable. Dependent on individual supporters, private foundations and state funding.
Political: variable. Often in direct proportion to the level of financial autonomy. |
Not very strong. Often neglected by government.
|
Faith-based organisations |
Rigid and hierarchical structure. |
Financial: high due to the large number of private donations.
Political: high. Action reflects guiding religious beliefs. |
Where strong religious beliefs are widespread such organisations can wield considerable power. |
Business associations |
Ranges from bureaucratic and corporate to smallscale and informal. Local
business associations are often small and family run. |
Financial and political: variable, often dependent on scale. |
Strong in many countries where the business-owning class belong to the political elite. |
The Media
|
Traditional media (newspapers, radio, TV) hierarchical and rigid structure. Modern media (e.g. blogs, internet) more diffuse, lacking formality. |
Financial and political: low, with predominance of state-owned media in many countries. However, this is changing through the introduction of the internet. |
In authoritative regimes the media is often used as the voice of the government, reflecting its position of power. |
The Judiciary
|
Hierarchical and rigid structure. |
Financial and political: variable. Ideally, under the separation of powers there is high autonomy. |
In some countries has been corrupted by the state. In such circumstances its subordinated role gives it less power |
Parliamentary Committees |
Less formal than in developed countries. |
Financial: various, dependent on the sector.
Political: Where there is cross party representation there is some autonomy from government. |
Tends to be less than in developed countries
|
