Reviews

"In its macro-level focus and mixture of historical and empirical explanation, this exciting book offers a theoretical approach to the study of civil society that should be useful and appealing to scholars. Logically presented and well written, it will not only lead to future study but can also be used in foundational courses on the nonprofit sector."

"Explaining Civil Society Development explores the central mystery of civil society: why is it that civil society takes on so many different forms in different countries? Why does Canadian civil society differ from that of Great Britain or the United States? Salamon and his co-researchers deftly apply the lessons of their 25 year comparative international research project to develop a "social origins" explanation, focusing on the embeddedness of civil society in national economies and social structures. This brief, attractive, and persuasive, book justifies their labors, and provides the best answer yet available."

"Stunninga remarkable, sweeping, and compelling body of work."

"Explaining Civil Society Development is a tremendous achievement and a fascinating development of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project. This long-awaited book provides a new and solid theoretical base for our understanding of the Third Sector. Its emphasis on the power variable is timely and provocative given the recent attempts to silence civil society in many countries."

"An entrancing volume, Explaining Civil Society presents useful theoretical and comparative insights that help us make sense of the power relationships that underlie the development of modern civil society around the globe."

"Provides an excellent overview of dominant nonprofit theories, and it would be extremely useful for those of us teaching introductory courses on nonprofit organizations... Hopkins scholars have demonstrated that some sort of civil society sector exists in every country."

"This volume is aimed at civil society researchers, scholars, and doctoral students. Interdisciplinary programs will find it of particular interest, as the social origins theory encompasses concepts from both social science and the humanities... Explaining Civil Society Development challenges the reader to think deeply about the context of power and how it shapes—for better or worse—the civil society sector in our world, now, and in the future."