I examine the democratic
effects of civil society participation on individuals. Civil society theorists contend that
participation in civil society has normative democratic effects on the individuals involved. I
test this proposition in the context of Latin America by examining the relationship between
civil society involvement and two democratic norms: support for democracy and trust. 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.