Abstract
This article considers how civil society can bring about local-level democratic change when national political systems remain authoritarian. Existing literature has tended to focus on democratic characteristics of civil society that reinforce political democratisation. A close reading of the literature on sub-Saharan Africa, along with a Cameroonian case study, illustrates how a civic association can provide opportunities for democratic change by emphasising accountability. This article addresses an important gap in the literature by showing where democratisation opportunities may be limited to the local level but can still improve citizens' quality of life.
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