Voluntary Associations and Local Level Politics: Voluntary Associations as Sources of Political Capital?

• The paper investigates whether the local political context has an impact on the frequency of contacts between voluntary associations and local politicians. The study contains data from two different surveys, one directed towards the citizens of the four selected municipalities and the other directed towards local voluntary associations and it also contains qualitative interviews with local level politicians. One of the conclusions is that one aspect of political opportunities structures, the stability of the political majority, seems to matter for the perceived outcome of the contacts between voluntary associations and local politicians. With one dominating political party in the local government the local voluntary associations seem to find it more difficult to influence local level politicians.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap -- Statsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science -- Political Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Voluntary associations

social capital

political opportunities structures

local government

Föreningar

socialt kapital

politiska möjlighetsstrukturer

kommuner

Political science

Statsvetenskap

Civil society

Civila samhället

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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