My
findings demonstrate that certain forms of civil society activity are substantially more
important for strengthening democratic norms in the region than others. I find that protest
activity, in particular, has the strongest and most consistent democratic effects across the
region. Associational participation has the weakest and least consistently positive
democratic effects. My findings thus contradict the neo-Tocquevillian thesis that
associational membership is the cornerstone of a democratic civil society in the case of Latin
America; and instead demonstrate how protest holds significant potential for encouraging
further democratization in the region.