Australia, like many Western liberal democracies, has experienced an unprecedented shift toward market driven policy governance in the past decade, influenced heavily by the demands of globalization but also the dominance of conservative ideas of liberal democracy and market oriented neoliberalism. In this context nonprofit advocacy organizations (NPAOs) have not only been subject to criticism and a reduction in governmental support, but have had their legitimacy challenged and questioned. This paper responds to an audible, visible, and highly contestable critique of NPAOs by exploring their contemporary place and role in Australian democracy. This discussion relies on a review of some key ideas and theories of liberal democracy and an overview of the current Australian context in which NPAOs operate, particularly in regard to their participation in policy governance. A key observation about how integral NPAOs are to ensure an active and open democracy, challenges the current directions of Australian governance and suggests a need for reflection on what actually constitutes a fully functioning democracy that fits the demands of the twenty-first century.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
In this paper NPAOs are recognized as not-for profit entities that have an advocacy function as either a central activity or as one of its activities. In the Australian context the term is interchangeable with “nongovernmental organizations” (NGOs), “nonprofits,” “charitable organizations,” “the third sector,” “voluntary organizations,” “community-based organizations,” or “community sector organizations.” In Australia, all of these terms are used, often interchangeably, therefore posing a challenge in research for Australian scholars.
This was part of some research conducted in 2004 that examined World Wide Web based information on the websites of 227 randomly selected Australian NPAOs, applying an audit of their democratic characteristics.
It should be noted that what has not been discussed in this paper are the under-researched and often overlooked small number of conservative nonprofit organizations such as conservative church groups, fundamental religious movements, and the associated movements such as the anti-abortion lobby that appear to be gaining stronger legitimacy in policy governance.
REFERENCES
ABC (2004). NGOs watching NGOs. Background Briefing, Radio National, March 28, 2004 (Reporter Stan Correy). Available online.
ABS [Australian Bureau of Statistics] (2000). Volunteers make a significant contribution to culture and recreation: Results form the second national survey of voluntary work. Voluntary Work, ABS, Canberra.
ATO [Australian Tax Office] (2005). Is your organisation exempt from income tax? Income tax guide for non-profit organisations. Available online at ATO Website: www.ato.gov.au
Barns, G. (2003). The IPA is not a suitable body to conduct a review into NGOs. ON LINE Opinion posted August 5: www.onlineopinion.com.au
Batliwala, S. (2004). Third sector legitimacy and accountability: Why and to whom? Plenary session paper presented to the International Society for Third Sector Research 6th Annual Conference, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, July 11–14.
Bell, D. (2003). Sustainability through democratisation? Assessing the role of environmental NGOs in a liberal democracy. Political Studies Association Conference Papers 2003. Online: www.psa.ac.uk
Bond, M. (2000). The backlash against NGOs. Global Policy Forum website: www.globalpolicy.org
Christensen, J. (2004). Asking do-gooders to prove they do good. The New York Times. January 3, 2004. Available online.
Dahl, R. (1999). Can international organisations be democratic? A skeptics view. In I. Shapiro and C. Hacker-Cordón (eds.), Democracy’s Edges, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 19–36.
D’Cruz, D. (2003). Rebuilding Iraq needs no interference from politically meddlesome NGOs. ON LINE Opinion posted April 28: www.onlineopinion.com.au
Dryzek, J. (2000). Deliberative Democracy and Beyond, Liberals Critics and Contestations, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Edwards, M. (2003). NGO legitimacy—Voice or vote? BOND Organization. Available online: www.globalpolicy.org
Edwards, M. (1999). International development NGOs: Agents of foreign aid or vehicles for international cooperation? Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 28(4), 25–37.
Edwards, M. (2000). NPAO Rights and Responsibilities: A New Deal for Global Governance, The Foreign Policy Centre in association with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, London.
Frumkin, P. (2002). On Being Nonprofit: A Conceptual and Policy Primer, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Fung, A., and Wright, E. O. (eds) (2004). Deepening Democracy, Institutional Innovations in Empowered Participatory Governance, Verso, London.
Global Compact Office (2004). Preliminary Report on the Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, United Nations Global Compact. Online: www.unglobalcompact.org
Gibelman, M., and Gelman, S. (2004). A loss of credibility: Patterns of wrongdoing among nongovernmental organizations. Voluntas 15(4), 355–382.
Held, D. (1994). Inequalities of power, problems of democracy. In M. Muetzelfeldt (ed.), Extending Democracy, Conference Proceedings, Faculty of Arts, Deakin University, pp. 85–97.
Henderson, D. (2001). Anti-Liberalism 2000: The Rise of New Millennium Collectivism, The Institute of Economic Affairs, London.
Higgott, R., Underhill, G., and Bieler, A. (eds.) (2000). Non-State Actors and Authority in the Global System, Routledge, London.
Hirst, P. (1994). Associative Democracy, New Forms of Economic and Social Governance, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA.
Hudock, A. C. (1999). NGOs and Civil Society, Polity Press, Malden.
Hywood, G. (2004). The unelected groups we should scrutinize. Sydney Morning Herald, June 24, Opinion Page.
Johns, G. (1999). NGO’s lazy activism. Australian Financial Review, December 6.
Johns, G. (2000). NGO way to go: Political accountability of non-profit advocacy organisations in a democratic society. IPA Backgrounder 12(3). (Institute of Public Affairs, Melbourne.)
Johns, G., and Roskam, J. (2004). The Protocol: Managing Relations with NGOs, Report to the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, Institute of Public Affairs, Melbourne.
Kremmer, J. (2003). Australia scrutinizes influence of non-governmental groups. Christian Science Monitor, September 5.
Leat, D. (2004). In different worlds: Approaches to grantmaking. Third Sector Review 10(1), 129–151.
Lyons, M. (1996). Nonprofit sector or civil society: Are they competing paradigms? Working Paper Series 35, UTS Centre for Australian Community Organizations and Management, Sydney.
Lyons, M. (1998a). From philanthropy to corporate citizenship. Working Paper Series 44, UTS Centre for Australian Community Organizations and Management, Sydney.
Lyons, M. (1998b). Defining the nonprofit sector: Australia. Working Papers of the John Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, The John Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies, Baltimore.
Lyons, M. (1999). Australia’s non-profit sector. Year Book Australia, 1999 Special Article, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra. Available on ABS website.
Lyons, M. (2001). Third Sector: The Contribution of the Nonprofit and Cooperative Enterprises in Australia, Allen and Unwin, St Leonards, NSW.
Lyons, M. (2004). Helping and harming: The impact of the legal and regulatory environment on the third sector. Keeping Good Companies 56(5), 280–286. (Journal of Chartered Secretaries Australia.)
Maddison, S., Denniss, R., and Hamilton, C. (2004). Silencing dissent non-profit advocacy organisations and Australian Democracy. Discussion Paper 65, The Australia Institute, Canberra.
Melville, R. (2003). Changing roles of community sector peak bodies in a neo-liberal policy environment in Australia. Final Report, Institute of Social Change and Critical Enquiry, Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong.
Micklewait, J., and Wooridge, A. (2000). Be prepared for the NGO threat. Financial Times, Australia, July 11.
Mulgan, R. (2001). The Accountability of Community Sector Agencies: A Comparative Framework. Discussion Paper 85, Australian National University Graduate Program in Public Policy.
Nahan, M. (2003). US foundation funding in Malaysia. NGO Project Report 1, Institute of Public Affairs, Melbourne.
O’Brien, R., Goetz, A., Scholte, J., and Williams, M. (2000). Contesting Global Governance: Multilateral Institutions and Global Social Movements, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Pateman, C. (2003). Participation and democratic theory. In R. Dahl, I. Shapiro, and A. Cheibub (eds.), The Democracy Source Book, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 40–47.
Patterson, Hon. K. (2004). Transparency Maintained for Growing Engagement between Goverment and Non-Government Organisations, Media Release, Former Portfolio Minister, Australian Government: Canberra http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/Minister1.nsf/content/government_ngo_relationship.htm
Putnam, R. (2003). Democracy. In R. Dahl, I. Shapiro and A. Cheibub (eds.), The Democracy Source Book, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp 157–167
Rawls, J. (2002). Justice as Fairness: A Restatement, Columbia University Press, New York.
Shapiro, I., and Hacker-Cordón, C. (1999). Democracy’s Edges, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
SMH [Sydney Morning Herald] (2005a). Democracy denied. Sydney Morning Herald, 20 June, p. 1.
SMH [Sydney Morning Herald] (2005b). Senate boss blasts PM’s monarchy. Sydney Morning Herald, 21 June, p. 1.
Snavely, K., and Desai, U. (2001). Mapping local government–non-profit advocacy organisation interactions: A conceptual framework. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 11(2), 245–264.
Tandon, R. (2004). Civil society and policy reforms. Civil Society and Governance Programme: Policy Briefs, Civsoc and Governance, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK.
Taylor, R. (ed.) (2004). Creating a Better World: Interpreting Global Civil Society, Kumarian Press, Bloomfield, CT.
Tomar, R. (2003). Redefining NGOs. Current Issues Brief 5, Information and Research Services, Department of the Parliamentary Library, Canberra.
UN [United Nations] (2003). Human Development Report, Millennium Development Goals: A Compact Among Nations to End Poverty, UNDP.
Upadhyay, A. (2003). NGOs: Do the watchdogs need watching. Inter Press Service, June 13. Online: www.globalpolicy.org
VeneKlasen, L., and Miller, V. (2004). A New Weave of Power, People and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation, World Neighbors Press, Washington, DC.
Warren, M. (2001). Democracy and Association, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Warren, M. (2004). Informal representation: Who speaks for whom? Democracy and Society, Spring, Centre for Democracy and the Third Sector.
Woodward, S., and Marshall, S. (2004). The more the merrier? Stakeholders in not-for profit companies. Third Sector Review 10(1), 101–128.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Phillips, R. The Role of Nonprofit Advocacy Organizations in Australian Democracy and Policy Governance. Voluntas 17, 57–73 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-005-9004-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-005-9004-y