Glossary
Civil society
The network of voluntary associations, such as families, churches, clubs and charities, that exist between the individual and the state.
Also called: voluntary associations, mediating institutions, third sector
Civil society is the realm of social life outside government and the market. It includes families, religious congregations, neighborhood groups, charities, unions, clubs, professional associations and other voluntary organizations that people form to pursue shared purposes.
Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America argued that these associations were a key to American liberty, teaching habits of cooperation and self-government. Conservative writers such as Robert Nisbet and Peter Berger and Richard John Neuhaus, in their idea of "mediating structures," emphasized that strong intermediate institutions protect individuals from both isolation and the overreach of the state. Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone (2000) argued that American civic participation was declining.
Conservatives often argue that the welfare state and regulation can crowd out civil society, and that charity, churches and local groups are better at helping people. Others reply that government and civil society are complements and that many social problems exceed the capacity of voluntary groups. The idea is closely linked to little platoons, subsidiarity and ordered liberty.
Last reviewed November 8, 2026