What do we know about civil society and regime change thirty years after 1989?

Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community

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Activists beyond Borders

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Ethnopopulism and democratic backsliding in Central Europe

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Far‐right protest mobilisation in Europe: Grievances, opportunities and resources

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Best in Covid: Populists in the Time of Pandemic

Buštíková, L., & Baboš, P. (2020) · Politics and Governance · doi:10.17645/pag.v8i4.3424 · Cited by 91

Varieties of Illiberal Backlash in Central Europe

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Populism in Power and Democracy: Democratic Decay and Resilience in the Czech Republic (2013–2020)

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Populism and Civil Society

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.001.0001 · Cited by 77

Pandemic power grab

Guasti, P., & Buštíková, L. (2022) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2022.2122049 · Cited by 47

Polish interest groups facing democratic backsliding

Pospieszna, P., & Vetulani‐Cęgiel, A. (2021) · Interest Groups & Advocacy · doi:10.1057/s41309-021-00119-y · Cited by 40

Practice Theory and Postsocialist Civil Society: Toward a New Analytical Framework

Baća, B. (2021) · International Political Sociology · doi:10.1093/ips/olab021 · Cited by 41

“Eco-terrorists”: right-wing populist media about “ecologists” and the public opinion on the environmental movement in Poland

Żuk, P. (2022) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2022.2055551 · Cited by 31

Responses of Polish NGOs engaged in democracy promotion to shrinking civic space

Pospieszna, P., & Pietrzyk‐Reeves, D. (2022) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2022.2027869 · Cited by 25

Coming out of the liberal closet. Think tanks and de-democratization in Poland

Jezierska, K. (2022) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2022.2130259 · Cited by 20

Democracy promotion in times of autocratization: the case of Poland, 1989–2019

Petrova, T., & Pospieszna, P. (2021) · Post-Soviet Affairs · doi:10.1080/1060586x.2021.1975443 · Cited by 20

Re-evaluating the East-West divide in the European Union

Volintiru, C., Surubaru, N., Epstein, R. A., & Fagan, A. (2024) · Journal of European Public Policy · doi:10.1080/13501763.2024.2313694 · Cited by 18

Rethinking Theoretical Approaches to Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe: Toward a Dynamic Approach

Pietrzyk‐Reeves, D. (2022) · East European Politics and Societies and Cultures · doi:10.1177/08883254221081037 · Cited by 17

A Research Agenda for Civil Society

Meijs, L., & Maas, S. (2022) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781800378155 · Cited by 17

The grassroots of Putin’s ideology: civil origins of an uncivil regime

Grek, I. (2023) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2023.2164849 · Cited by 16

Civil Society Under Attack: The Consequences for Horizontal Accountability Institutions

Smidt, H., Johansson, J., & Richter, T. (2025) · Studies in Comparative International Development · doi:10.1007/s12116-023-09423-x · Cited by 14

Non-violent resistance movements and substantive democracy

Fetrati, J. (2022) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2022.2148159 · Cited by 13

Female empowerment and masculinity – a cultural trait? Evidence from the CEE countries

Gaweł, A., Mroczek‐Dąbrowska, K., & Bartosik‐Purgat, M. (2023) · Gender in Management An International Journal · doi:10.1108/gm-06-2022-0194 · Cited by 13

Hungary—The Changing Roles of Civil Society and Social Movements Facing Autocratisation

Gerő, M., & Kerényi, S. (2025) · Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77888-9_7 · Cited by 13

The European Union and Lifelong Learning Policy

Holford, J., & Milana, M. (2023) · Springer international handbooks of education · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-19592-1_27 · Cited by 13

Beyond Europeanization: political ecology and environmentalism in Central and Eastern Europe

Fagan, A. J., & Buzogány, Á. (2022) · Environmental Politics · doi:10.1080/09644016.2022.2147652 · Cited by 11

Revolutionary resistance against full autocratization. Actors and strategies of resistance after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar

Stokke, K., & Kyaw, N. N. (2023) · Political Geography · doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2023.103011 · Cited by 11

Civil Society Elites

Johansson, H., & Meeuwisse, A. (2023) · Palgrave studies in third sector research · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-40150-3 · Cited by 12

Social capital and polarization: The case of Polish think tanks

Sörbom, A., & Jezierska, K. (2023) · Journal of Civil Society · doi:10.1080/17448689.2023.2242517 · Cited by 15

Clientelism, Party Organization and Intra-party Democracy

Chiru, M. (2024) · Comparative Political Studies · doi:10.1177/00104140241252082 · Cited by 10

Is Malaysian democracy backsliding or merely staying put?

Weiss, M. (2022) · Asian Journal of Comparative Politics · doi:10.1177/20578911221136066 · Cited by 13

Troublemakers and game changers: how political parties stopped democratic backsliding in Bulgaria

Gherghina, S., & Bankov, P. (2023) · Democratization · doi:10.1080/13510347.2023.2250985 · Cited by 11

Libya in transition: governance challenges and civil society’s prospects in political and economic reforms

Selmi, N. (2025) · Global Security Health Science and Policy · doi:10.1080/23779497.2025.2449614 · Cited by 8

Uncivil Society and Democracy's Fate in Southeast Asia: Democratic Breakdown in Thailand, Increasing Illiberalism and Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar

Bünte, M. (2023) · Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs · doi:10.1177/18681034231208467 · Cited by 8

When illiberalism looms-mortality anxiety and the perceived existential threat among Polish and Slovenian interest groups

Kamiński, P., & Riedel, R. (2021) · Interest Groups & Advocacy · doi:10.1057/s41309-021-00135-y · Cited by 8

When promises reach boundaries: political participation in post-communist countries

Gherghina, S., Ekman, J., & Podolian, O. (2023) · European Societies · doi:10.1080/14616696.2023.2178187 · Cited by 8

Civil Society and the Contentious Politics of Democratisation and Autocratisation in Myanmar

Stokke, K. (2023) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780367422080-9 · Cited by 7

The Domestication of the Civil Sphere

Nagy, Á., Béres-Áfra, Z., & Szalóki, V. (2025) · Civil Szemle · doi:10.62560/csz.2025.02.1 · Cited by 6

Civil Society's Inconsistent Liberalism in Southeast Asia: Exercising Accountability Along Differing Diagonals

Weiss, M. (2023) · Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs · doi:10.1177/18681034231208021 · Cited by 6

Does the democratic performance really matter for regime support? Evidence from the post-communist Member States of the European Union

Karv, T. (2021) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2021.1878150 · Cited by 6

Democracy promotion under populist rule? The case of Poland’s democracy aid in Ukraine

Monkos, A. (2021) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2021.1980497 · Cited by 6

Civil Society and Efforts at Regime Change in Southeast Asia

Ufen, A. (2023) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780367422080-8 · Cited by 6

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic experiences on attitudes towards vaccinations: on the social, cultural and political determinants of preferred vaccination organization models in Poland

Żuk, P., & Żuk, P. (2024) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/s12961-024-01214-7 · Cited by 5

The paradox of minority accommodation: Eastern Europe after 30 years

Buštíková, L. (2020) · European Political Science · doi:10.1057/s41304-020-00266-x · Cited by 5

Threats to Democracy

Petrović, V. (2021) · Političke perspektive · doi:10.20901/pp.10.2-3.03 · Cited by 5

Confessional Illiberalism in Europe

Halevy, L., & Buštíková, L. (2025) · Politics and Governance · doi:10.17645/pag.9675 · Cited by 4

New Political Leadership, Plus Ça Change ? State–Civil Society Relations in Central Asia

Knox, C., Sharipova, D., & Kurmanov, B. (2025) · Journal of Contemporary Asia · doi:10.1080/00472336.2025.2464214 · Cited by 4

The Curious Case of Slovakia

Novakova, Z. R. (2020) · International Journal of Social Quality · doi:10.3167/ijsq.2020.100203 · Cited by 4

“Hi, Folks!” Attention Populism as a Strategy for Dominating the Dissonant Information Environment

Klimeš, D. (2022) · Javnost - The Public · doi:10.1080/13183222.2022.2147773 · Cited by 4

Informality as a safety net: civic agency and the crisis of local governments in Hungary

Bródy, L. S. (2023) · Urban Research & Practice · doi:10.1080/17535069.2023.2235317 · Cited by 4

A red flag for public goods? The correlates of civil society restrictions

Smidt, H., Mitchell, N. J., & Bakke, K. M. (2024) · Governance · doi:10.1111/gove.12894 · Cited by 3

Organised Labour and Autocratisation in Southeast Asia

Caraway, T. L. (2023) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780367422080-21 · Cited by 3

Challenges of the energy transition in Poland – deliberative democracy as a tool for activating the civil society

Janikowska, O. J. (2023) · Polityka Energetyczna – Energy Policy Journal · doi:10.33223/epj/166687 · Cited by 3

Legislative Capture and Democratic Careening in Poland

Tworzecki, H. (2024) · The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science · doi:10.1177/00027162241307748 · Cited by 3

Growing Complexity of the Civil Society Ecosystem

Paturyan, Y. J., & Gevorgyan, V. (2020) · Societies and political orders in transition · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-63226-7_9 · Cited by 3

Law and Justice and its allies: Clientelistic links in Poland after 2015

Sula, P., Błaszczyński, K., & Madej, M. (2023) · New Perspectives · doi:10.1177/2336825x231164309 · Cited by 3

New Trends in Civic Activism in Central and Eastern Europe

Pietrzyk‐Reeves, D. (2023) · Studia Politologiczne · doi:10.33896/spolit.2023.70.1 · Cited by 3

Contested Alliances: A Contrapuntal Reading of European (Global) Gender Agendas

Fisher‐Onar, N., Gazsi, D., & Wolff, S. (2025) · JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies · doi:10.1111/jcms.13773 · Cited by 3

Civil society in Slovakia: current state and challenges

Svidroňová, M. M. (2020) · Problemy Polityki Społecznej. Studia i Dyskusje · doi:10.31971/16401808.50.3.2020.3 · Cited by 3

El difícil camino hacia una democratización en Venezuela

Jiménez, M. (2022) · doi:10.33960/issn-e.1885-9119.dt61 · Cited by 1

The State as a Challenger to Civil Society Elites: The Case of Poland

Korolczuk, E. (2023) · Palgrave studies in third sector research · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-40150-3_12 · Cited by 2

The development of civil society in Moldova in the context of the Ukrainian war and the EU accession

Costea, A. M., & Brie, M. (2024) · Civil Szemle · doi:10.62560/csz.2025.01.3 · Cited by 2

Resisting autocratization? Civil society’s response to the autocratic turn in Tunisia

Yssen, S. S. F., & Stokke, K. (2024) · Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography · doi:10.1080/00291951.2024.2424943 · Cited by 4

Implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine for Belarus and its society: what exactly is written in the EU documents?

Kaścian, K. (2022) · Public Governance Administration and Finances Law Review · doi:10.53116/pgaflr.2022.1.1 · Cited by 1

Growing Civil Society in Post-Soviet States: Does Money Help?

Kankanyan, N. (2025) · VOLUNTAS International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations · doi:10.1007/s11266-024-00715-x · Cited by 6

Coping with a crisis: the relationship between citizenship and mental health as experienced by LGBTQ population in Poland

Obrebska, M. (2025) · Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe · doi:10.1080/25739638.2025.2455863 · Cited by 1

From civil society to populism. Mapping a typology of political activism in Europe

Mikecz, D. (2026) · Theory and Society · doi:10.1007/s11186-026-09689-9 · Cited by 1

Liminality, liberal democracy and the European integration of Eastern Europe

Noutcheva, G. (2026) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2026.2700477 · Cited by 1

Forum: Bridging divides—Georgia, the European Union, and the challenges of cooperation amid conflicts

Pavic, G. L., Bescotti, E., Andguladze, A., Bachelet, A., Buzogány, Á., Carvell, M., Delcour, L., Gavrilova, S., & Gonashvili-Münch, I. (2026) · Cooperation and Conflict · doi:10.1177/00108367261432930 · Cited by 1

Invoking the EU: civil society’s response to autocratisation in Georgia

Gugelmann, M., & Mgaloblishvili, A. (2026) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2026.2719596 · Cited by 1

Support for a Populist Government in Poland

Gulczyński, M. (2020) · International Journal of Social Quality · doi:10.3167/ijsq.2020.100204 · Cited by 1

How Populists Construct Public Selves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the Czech Prime Minister

Zahradníčková, K., & Šerek, J. (2022) · Journal of Constructivist Psychology · doi:10.1080/10720537.2022.2082607 · Cited by 1

Populist Governments and Their Logic

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.003.0003 · Cited by 2

Grassroots Origins of Russia’s Illiberalism

Grek, I. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197639108.013.28 · Cited by 1

Socio-Economic Development, Class, and Protest

Grasso, M. T., & Gubernat, R. (2025) · Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77888-9_14 · Cited by 1

Introduction

Paturyan, Y. J., & Gevorgyan, V. (2020) · Societies and political orders in transition · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-63226-7_1 · Cited by 1

The European Union and Lifelong Learning Policy

Holford, J., & Milana, M. (2022) · Springer international handbooks of education · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-67930-9_27-1 · Cited by 1

Achieving Accountable State Security Forces in Transitioning States: Building Democratic State Security Forces in the Former Socialist SpacePreprint

Freeman, S. (2021) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3947288 · Cited by 1

The Nation, the Economy, and the Civil Society: What is Next?

Konečný, S., & Gizicki, W. (2020) · EUROPEAN RESEARCH STUDIES JOURNAL · doi:10.35808/ersj/1933

Survival of Civil Society Organizations Across Multiple Political Regimes: The Case of the Czech Scouting Organization Junák, 1914–2019

Bell, I. (2022) · Journal of Civil Society · doi:10.1080/17448689.2022.2061546

Populism and Constitutionalism

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.003.0004

Populism as Mobilization and as a Party

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.003.0002

Populism: Why and Why Now?

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.003.0001

Introduction: Defining Populism

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.003.0006

Alternatives to Populism

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.003.0005

Societal Reactions to Social Movements in Elections in Asian Countries: An Overview of Democracy

Sopheap, P., & Chantrea, S. (2023) · Journal of Asian Multicultural Research for Social Sciences Study · doi:10.47616/jamrsss.v4i1.359

Essence and framework of civil society in the conditions of democracy: theoretical dimension and systematization

Lipar, Y. Y. (2023) · Politicus · doi:10.24195/2414-9616.2023-1.4

“Standby Youth”?

Savić-Bojanić, M. (2023) · Communist and Post-Communist Studies · doi:10.1525/cpcs.2023.1976481 · Cited by 1

From the margins to central stage

Pickering, P. M., McMahon, P. C., & Pietrzyk‐Reeves, D. (2024) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781003466116-8

Toward A (Not The) Political Philosophy Of Populism: Democracy, Moral Dualism And Minimalst Theory In Christopher Lasch

Gerson, G. (2024) · Canadian Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1017/s0008423924000040

Preface and Acknowledgments

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.002.0005

Notes

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.002.0007

Copyright Page

Arato, A., & Cohen, J. L. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197526583.002.0003

PENGUATAN LEMBAGA KEMASYARAKATAN DALAM MEMBANTU TUGAS PEMERINTAHAN DI KAMPUNG MUKIM SINGKIR YAN KEDAH, MALAYSIA

Rauf, R. (2024) · Kumawula Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · doi:10.24198/kumawula.v7i2.53429

Exploring the catalysts of lobbying coalitions in Central and Eastern Europe

Dobbins, M., & Labanino, R. (2024) · East European Politics · doi:10.1080/21599165.2024.2402238 · Cited by 1

Sociedad Civil, esfera pública y democratización: Revisando el debate latinoamericano en la era de desconfiguración democrática

Peruzzotti, E. (2024) · Política Revista de Ciencia Política · doi:10.5354/0719-5338.2024.76429 · Cited by 2

Contention, Democracy, and Capitalism. A View from Central and Eastern Europe

Crăciun, C., & Rammelt, H. P. (2025) · Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77888-9_1 · Cited by 1

Post-Communist Democracy, Civil Society, and the Problem of Accountability

Bernhard, M. H. (2025) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009602570.010

Civil Society

Baratalipour, M., & Fu, D. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-06918-4_53-1

Trust in Women’s Civil Society Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe: Results From a Survey Experiment

Pietrzyk‐Reeves, D., Pickering, P. M., Pospieszna, P., McMahon, P. C., & Sundstrom, L. M. (2026) · Problems of Post-Communism · doi:10.1080/10758216.2025.2608699

Advocacy NGOs’ responses to democratic backsliding in Poland: results of a qualitative study conducted in 2022

Chimiak, G. (2026) · Interest Groups & Advocacy · doi:10.1057/s41309-026-00266-0

Clientelism Without Party Machines: The Use of Claim-Making Groups as Organizational Substitutes

Contreras, G. (2026) · Latin American Politics and Society · doi:10.1017/lap.2026.10066 · Cited by 1

Civil society, effective responses to populist parties and democratic resilience in Europe

Bourne, A. K. (2026) · European Political Science · doi:10.1017/s1682098326100630 · Cited by 2

Civil society and the onset of negotiations

Gill, G. (2003) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203166413-9

Civil Society, Institutional Change and the Politics of Reform: The Great TransitionPreprint

Bruszt, L., Campos, N. F., & Fidrmuc, J. (2010) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 3

Civil Society and Regime Type in European Post-Communist Countries: The Perspective Two Decades after 1989-1991

Bernhard, M. H., & Kaya, R. (2012) · Taiwan journal of democracy · Cited by 6

Creating civil society?

Gill, G. (2003) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203166413-11

The Legacies of 1989: Myths and Realities of Civil Society

Ekiert, G., & Kubı́k, J. (2014) · Journal of democracy · doi:10.1353/jod.2014.0009 · Cited by 81