Administrative and Tax anti-NGO Laws and Civil Society Decline

Abstract

This paper will discuss the importance of civil society in democracy and human rights and trends in authoritarian and anti-democratic force attacks on civic space. It will then examine case studies from three countries that have implemented administrative and transparency anti-NGO laws, and how these laws have impacted civil society within those countries. Finally, it will turn to the U.S., and analyse the current environment for U.S. civil society and the ways that U.S. civil society and democracy are vulnerable to these tactics; examine recent attempts in the U.S. to advance administrative and transparency anti-NGO laws; and, propose policy recommendations to U.S. lawmakers and civil society on how to protect U.S. civil society from these types of attacks.