Glossary
- Civil Society
Interest groups that stand between the private sphere and the sphere of state and government. A pluralistic civil society representing a variety of interests is seen to guarantee a culture of tolerance and compromise, mitigate political conflict and contribute to political consensus. Civil society is important to counterbalance the state, control the activities of government and prevent abuses of power by state institutions. A precondition for this is that members of a society understand themselves as citizens who take responsibility, engage and develop activity in local communities, associations or the public sphere.