Political and Economic Effects of Civil Society: An Essay Overview

This essay delves into the multifaceted political and economic effects of civil society. It begins with the historical roots of civil society, tracing its origins from ancient Greece and its evolution through European thought, emphasizing the role of social structures like friendship and marriage in the formation of a politically stable society. The essay then examines the contemporary definition of civil society, encompassing non-governmental organizations, charity groups, and community associations, and explores its influence on political matters. A significant portion of the essay is dedicated to the social contract theory by Hobbes and Locke, highlighting how individuals are bound by moral and political obligations within a society, which in turn, shapes the economic landscape. The role of the United Nations Organization (UNO) is also assessed, showcasing its political and economic interventions. Finally, the essay discusses how economic stability impacts civil society, emphasizing the importance of employment and poverty reduction to maintain societal standards and prevent the weakening of civil society's influence.

Running Head: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY
Political and Economic Effects of Civil Society
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Political and Economic Effects of Civil Society
The concept of a civil society rose from ancient Greece, where they based their
studies on the difference in the approach of men and women and their way of leading their
life. It was connected with the social strictures such as friendship, marriage, love that is they
considered the different human relationship in their basic form and how they connected to the
formation of a politically stable society. A civil society’s formation was derived from the
school of thought in the European countries as the scale of measure of control for the political
party. Therefore, civil society can be deemed as one which keeps society in check on its use
of political and social influences (Ehrenberg 2017). In the contemporary world, the definition
of civil society has changed to the concept of an organization who works on the humanitarian
ground makes its way to attain a better society.
In more recent times, there has been an evolution, and civil societies are considered to
be that body of individual who work towards a common goal of achieving a set of values.
Following this definition, civil societies in modern-day include non-government
organizations, charity groups, and trade associations, community groups such as women and
child support, and organizations extending educational help.
The question of civil society having its assertion on political matters is an unresolved
issue, but one can prove the weightage that it bears. The concept of civil society started with
the motive of asserting pressure on the political system in European countries. However, the
most significant contribution that shows the relation between civil society and the political
situation is the social contract theory by Hobbes and Locke (Friend 2020). The social contract
theory stated that individuals in the state are bounded by moral as well as political obligations
which they deemed as a part of social contract among the people they live to form a society.
This implies that this society would provide shelter to people who abide by the social contract
which incorporated political assertion. It meant that people living in a secular society would

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have to abide by the law and contribute to the market. This can also be seen as the foundation
of early democratic beliefs of individual abiding by the laws made to protect them. However,
the difference lied in the fact that Hobbes theory was in favour of authoritarian power. In
recent years, the most important civil society which has immense control over the political
matter is United Nations Organization (UNO). The organization was formed as a result of the
aftermath of deadly World Wars. The organization now has a membership of 193 countries
out of which all are sovereign states now (Tumin 2013). The organization look over the
political workings, which should be based on the Charter and the deviation to one leads to the
intervention by other members. However, the original five members can veto the final
decision.
The economic state of civil society and its impact can also be seen as the derivation of
the social contract theory where the individual in the society contributes to the exchange of
economic asset as mean to maintain its working. Civil society has a vital role in the economic
policies of a state for the location and sustenance of a state stands on the stability of the
economic flow means. In Hobbes, times, however, the economic condition was maintained to
stay bound under the complete control of the sovereign, which was explained by his
psychological egoism (Idahosa and Otoghile 2017). He explained human as acting on the
only mean of benefit, which implies that during times of any crisis, society is meant to be
disintegrated. It is observed in the case of civil societies as well. The grasp over the working
of a state and its economic state cannot be handled as efficiently as it is done during the times
of better flow of means. The UNO not only aspire to look over the political working of its
member states but also the economic crisis which is dealt with and the policy of equal
distribution and equal extension of help when needed (Simiti 2017).
Any economic crisis is bound to weaken the grasp of civil societies over the state.
However, studies show that following the policies, the states can avoid the threat of increased

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hold of unemployment and poverty to form its root that can undermine the recovery and later
developments as well. Lack of employment and poverty are two of the most influential
factors that contribute to the lowering of standards of civil society, and it leads to the inability
to sustain as a society itself.

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References
Ehrenberg, John R. Civil society: The critical history of an idea. Nyu Press, 2017.
Friend, Celeste. 2020. "Social Contract Theory | Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy". Iep.Utm.Edu. https://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/#H2.
Idahosa, Sunday A., and A. Otoghile. "Civil Society/Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOS) as Veritable Tools for Rapid Community Development." International Journal of
Communication: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies 9, no. 1 (2017).
Simiti, Marilena. "Civil society and the economy: Greek civil society during the economic
crisis." Journal of Civil Society 13, no. 4 (2017): 357-373.
Tumin, Makmor. "Civil Society: The Critical History of an Idea." Institutions and
Economies (2017): 137-146.