Giving Compass' Take:

• The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explores ten case studies and draws a set of conclusions about how civil society can gain legitimacy in a variety of political and social settings. 

• What organizations have developed undeserved legitimacy? How can organizations tweak their practices and narratives to increase their legitimacy? 

• Read about the importance of civil society in democracies


As the different contributors make clear, the closing space for civil society presents a minefield of legitimacy challenges. Governments hostile to independent civic groups have become experts in sowing public doubts about civic actors’ identities and agendas while squeezing them with legal and regulatory restrictions and informal but punishing methods of harassment.

In most newly democratic countries, as well as ones still gripped by authoritarian leadership, citizens start from a natural skepticism about civil society advocacy. They welcome charity and service delivery work, but perceive civic groups that engage in governance and policy issues as part of the dirty terrain of partisan politics.

How can civic actors build and defend their legitimacy in this challenging political context? What sources of legitimacy can they draw on, and what approaches have proven most effective at countering government narratives and building public support?

First, legitimacy for civic groups can stem from who they are: their basic identity as societal actors.

Second, civic organizations’ legitimacy is shaped by what they do; namely, the issues that they work on.

Third, civil society organizations also accrue legitimacy based on how they do their work. Three core principles stand out:

  • Strengthening downward accountability: Even civic organizations that did not emerge as grassroots actors can prioritize local capacity-building to enable their key constituencies to advocate for themselves, rather than speaking on their behalf.
  • Maintaining political independence: Advocacy work is of course inherently political. Yet as noted above, perceptions of partisanship can easily undercut an organization’s legitimacy in the eyes of the public, particularly in polarized contexts.
  • Ensuring transparency about objectives and methods: Although government restrictions can naturally push organizations to work under the radar, several contributors highlight the importance of organizational transparency to preempt potential attacks.

Fourth, civic organizations draw legitimacy from those with whom they work, whether this includes other civil society actors, allies in related sectors, or even government officials and institutions.

Finally, civil society organizations build legitimacy based on what impact they have and what they achieve.