Abstract
Within the field of international relations, scholarship supports the notion that international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and foundations, as a part of transnational civil society, influence state policy and behaviors, while the causal effects of state influence on INGOs is less researched. By contrast, the co-constitutive roles of states and INGOs are well established in third-sector research. Seeking to extend these literatures and bring them into conversation more with one another, this article explores the process of state influence on INGOs and foundations in the context of China, a strong, resiliently authoritarian state. We argue that three strategic adaptations by INGOs emerge as a pragmatic response to operating within China’s authoritarian institutions, such as (1) learning to focus mostly on policymakers rather than citizens, (2) collaboration with local governments on policy experimentation as the primary advocacy method, and (3) the adoption of strategies to hedge against potential risks of operating without a protected legal status, such as only collaborating with the grassroots NGOs properly registered with state authorities. In some cases, these adaptations catalyzed larger organizational changes. Our findings indicate that socialization processes can affect both INGOs and states, and thus serve to highlight the difficult trade-offs faced by INGOs engaging strong authoritarian governments such as China. Further, they suggest that, in a world of seemingly resurgent authoritarian governance, restricting legal and policy space for INGOs may be moot, since INGOs working inside these states are influenced to comply with domestic rules, norms, and practices.
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Notes
We employ the term INGO to represent the family of organizations that includes transnational civil society groups, grant-making agencies, and foundations, as we believe the dynamics analyzed in this paper affect all of these organizations.
Interview transcripts may be requested from the authors.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Alisha Sud for her excellent research assistance, as well as Andy Mertha, Allen Carlson, Margaret Pearson, and the other participants at the Cornell workshop, as well as two anonymous reviewers, all of whom greatly improved this article.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: INGO Survey—Distributed Using Survey Monkey
Appendix 2: INGO Survey—Distributed Using Survey Monkey—and Results
Appendix 3: List of Interviews Allowed for Attribution
Organization | Name | Title | Date of first interview |
|---|---|---|---|
The Global Fund | Sara Faroni | Senior Program Officer, China | April 28, 2014 |
Asia Catalyst | Gisa Dang | Director, Capacity Building and Community Initiatives | May 19, 2014 |
The Nature Conservancy | Ben Roth | Associate Advisor, Global Strategy, Chief Conservation Office | May 9, 2014 |
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation | Adam Gerstenmier | Chief of Staff, Global Policy & Advocacy | May 2, 2014 |
Ford Foundation | Elizabeth Knup | Country Representative | December 17, 2014 |
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Noakes, S., Teets, J.C. Learning Under Authoritarianism: Strategic Adaptations Within International Foundations and NGOs in China. Voluntas 31, 1093–1113 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-017-9939-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-017-9939-9