Introduction

Abstract

This chapter presents the conceptual framework of resourcefulness that brings together the contributions to this volume; it also establishes Poland, Russia, and Sweden as particularly relevant cases for understanding transformation in the relationships between civil society, the state, and the market. Here, we explore the organizational realities of civil societies in the three countries and their shared history of a strong state. We posit resources as a contrast medium, allowing us to distinguish between different types of resourcefulness in civil society organizations’ responses to various pressures. Finally, the overall thematic structure of this book and each of its contributions are highlighted.

Coming out of the liberal closet. Think tanks and de-democratization in Poland

“…Hence, de-democratizing regimes reconfigure civil societies. 14 Scholarship on think tanks in de-democratizing contexts is very limited. Mirroring the wider field of civil society studies, some authors highlight the democratizing potential of think tanks, 15 while others are more sceptical.…”