"Both timely and effective.... [Howell and Pearce] add a much-needed fresh look at the missing link of civil society and its reappearance in the lexicon of the funding organizations.... A readable and uniquely flowing book."—Ali Modarres, Progress in Development Studies

Incorporated into the discourse of academics, policymakers, and grassroots activists, of multilateral development agencies and local NGOs alike, "civil society" has become a topic of widespread discussion. But is there in fact any common understanding of the term? How useful is it when applied to the South, and what difference does it make to bring the concept into the debate on development?Howell and Pearce explore the complex relationships among civil society, the state, and market in the context of democratic development. Drawing on case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, they also unravel what is meant by development agencies—bilaterals, multilaterals, NGOs, and international financial institutions, with their diverse approaches and agendas—when they refer to the urgent need to strengthen civil society.