Det civila samhället i sandinistiska revolutionens andra kapitel Det civila samhällets demokratiska funktion i Nicaragua

Sammanfattning: This study analyzes how civil society contributes to the democratic development in a Nicaragua governed by the sandinist party FSLN. The empirical focus lays at the relationship between state and the civil society. By using a conceptual framework outlined by Caroline Boussard, the civil society is being analyzed as an actor with a democracy-building potential that is supported or constrained by a political context. The civil society is divided between traditional social movement and more newly borned NGOs. Social movements tend to approach the government comparatively to NGOs, which adopt a highly critical attitude. In contrast to NGOs, the traditional social movements are improving their democratic functions as a counterpart while NGOs confine its democratic potential to an agenda setter drawing attention to democratic deficits. The sandinist government shows a most sceptic attitude towards parts of the civil society witch is considered co-opted by the donor community and opposite political parties. Both sides tend to perceive each other as rivals and the infected relationship contributes to a weakening of the already weak democratic government. The governmental formation of Citizen Councils (CPC) brings the relationship to a head since they are perceived as existential threats to the organized civil society.