Focusing on the strategies that groups use to influence the policy process, I identify two
important “pathways” to participation: the successful framing of issues and the formation
of effective civil society alliances. I argue that when civil societal actors frame ideas in
persuasive ways and join forces in alliances, they increase their chances of participating
in policy agenda setting, formulation, and adoption. This approach helps solve the puzzle
of influence in environments where access to the political system is restricted and/or
individual groups lack resources and political strength.
I test the theory with empirical evidence collected in Argentina and Chile.
Specifically, I perform a comparative analysis of multiple cases of policy making drawn
from three issue areas: the environment, the rights and well-being of children, and
transparency in government institutions. By offering an original theory of civil society
participation in policy, I seek to bridge a lacuna in the democratization literature, which
has largely neglected this theme, and to contribute to the comparative politics field. The
central themes motivating my research are political participation and influence, the
exercise of citizenship, and the impact of civil society activism in democratizing nations.
These themes have implications for both the consolidation and the quality of democracy