This document discusses the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and citizen groups in politics and governance. It argues that politics involves not just formal government structures, but also the actions of social groups and their interactions with government. NGOs and citizen groups can play an important role by organizing communities, advocating for people's interests, linking the powerful and disempowered, and providing alternative mechanisms for delivering social services. They can help facilitate greater citizen participation in policymaking and enhance democracy.

1. Power to the people….
Prof. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza, PhD
Department of Political Science
Ateneo de Manila University

2. citizen participation in political processes
 arena of uncoerced collective action around
shared interests, purposes and values. In theory, its
institutional forms are distinct from those of the
state, family and market. Civil society commonly
embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and
institutional forms, varying in their degree of
formality, autonomy and power.
(LSE, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_society )

3.  Traditional view: politics = formal structures of
government
 Alternative perspective: interest group approach
politics = government + citizen groups & their
actions
= interaction of social groups
 Theoretical proponents:
Bentley: group is the basic unit of all political life
Latham: organized groups are structures of power;
politics is the struggle of groups
Truman: uniformities of behavior through these
groups

4.  any group that, on the basis of one or more
shared attitudes, makes certain claim upon
other groups in society for the establishment,
maintenance, or enhancement of forms of
behavior that are implied by the shared
attitudes
 organized organizations that engage in activity
relative to governmental decisions
 organizations that attempt to influence public
policy

5.  formal structure of organization
 articulation & aggregation of interests
 acting within the political system
 influencing external power
 representation of political interests
 Lobbying
e.g. building public pressure using media
organizing rallies & demonstrations
forming alliances & coalitions

6.  non-membership organization formed for
providing welfare and development
services to the poor
 private, non-profit, legal, small, focused
 usually works with peoples’ organizations
(Pos)

7.  fill a gap in the function of the government
 stimulating agent for community development
 creates opportunities for the politically
marginalized to become active participants in
the socio-political processes of society

8. playing as an intermediary mechanism between
those who have power & those who have none:
1. plays as an alternative institutional setting
to political parties, articulating & aggregating
socially relevant interests
2. supplements government’s social delivery
mechanisms
3. privatizes policy implementation

9. 1. DJANGOs (Development, Justice and
Advocacy NGOs)
- commonly called development NGOs
- perform direct and indirect support service functions
with POs
2. FUNDANGOs (Funding agency NGOs or
Philanthropic Foundations)
- grant-giving organizations linked to grassroots
organizations through providing financial and other
forms of support

10. 3. MUNGOs (Mutant NGOs)
- largely composed of government-run NGOs that are
essentially extensions of the state or personal
interests of state actors
4. COME N’GOs (Fly-by-Night or paper
NGOs)
- fly-by-night organizations that package proposals to
attract outside funding and promptly disappear with
the funds.

11. a. Intensifying Unrest, Alarming Protest: The
Rise of Militancy
1960s: political and economic exploitation by the
ruling elite
rapid mobilization of revolutionary mass
organizations
emergence of a movement for grassroots
development

12. b. Repression, Co-optation: The Way to
Innovation & Expansion
declaration of martial law in 1972
Marcos dictatorship (failure to address problems of
development)

13. c. Assassination, Revolution: Towards
Participation & Democratization
Ninoy Aquino assassination (1983) - “2nd wave of
activism”
“People Power Revolution” (1986)
• 1987 Constitution: encourages formation; support
for regional NGOs; respect of their role; right to
participate in decision making; consultation
mechanisms
• 1991 Local Government Code: NGOs as
representatives of peoples’ interests

14. d. Democratization Movements
◦ EDSA Dos – 2001
◦ EDSA Tres (?)
◦ Anti-Charter Change

15.  5 areas for NGO participation in electoral
processes
1 advocacy for electoral reforms
2 the raising of political consciousness
3 advancement of the people’s platform or
agenda in elections
4 direct participation through the fielding
of and campaigning for chosen candidates
5 post-election activities

16. play an essential role in democratizing
politics and governance
 facilitate participation of the people in the
policy-making and execution process of
government
 “key participant political force”
 role in enhancing democracy
 important institutional vehicles
 ability to influence

17.  As organizers: forming community & popular
grassroots organization
 As advocates: mobilizing, articulating people’s
interests, political demands, and institutional
reforms
 As mediators: linking the powerful and
disempowered strata of the society
 As deliverers: alternative mechanism for delivery of
social services