Sociedad civil y poder político en República Dominicana

Abstract

In the Latin American context, the Dominican Republic displays high levels of civic engagement and political activism, yet they have not translated into a civil society that is able to exercise considerable influence in reforming the political system or enhancing democracy. Building on this observation, this article explores two questions. The first is if there is tendency toward dual participation in civic and political organizations, which reduces civil society’s ability to pressure political parties and the State. The second refers to the nature of the connections that civil society participants have with the State and with political parties. The analysis demonstrates that an important segment of the population that participates in civic associations also participates in political parties and in clientelist networks.