Social networking sites offer politicians an opportunity to mobilize followers through carefully
crafted messages appealing to their emotions. We examine the effects of uncivil and post …

This book examines organized interests in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe
(CEE), providing incisive analyses in three critically important policy areas-healthcare …

Why do some interest group systems provide group members with more elaborate voice
opportunities than other systems? We argue that evaluating membership voice is important …

Most research on post-socialist civil society has focused on analysing the characteristics that
explain (the lack of) civic strength. Although recent research has highlighted the rise of …

Contemporary politics has been filled with increasing political disagreements beyond
opinion contestation essential for democratic competition. This study examines the …

Online environments can foster opportunities for political engagement but can also hinder
democratic deliberation by promoting hostile and polarizing communication. A prominent …

The present study focuses on the use of the local referendum instrument in the Czech
Republic between 2000 and 2020. This form of citizen participation in political decision …

Co-creation is a concept that offers a broad perspective on the involvement of external
actors in public administration. With the intent of contributing to the clarification of certain …

This introduction presents the general outline of this special issue and elaborates on the
context in which most of the contributions originated. The central question, common to all …

The essay discusses Central Eastern Europe as a 'laboratory'of existing, emerg‑ing as well
as contained elements of illiberal backlash. The Central European countries show both …