The Theory of the Civil Sphere and the Crisis of Democracy

In recent years, civil sphere theory (CST) has shown its capability to understand the processes of expansion and contraction of democracy in different regions and countries. The CST emerged in the late 1990s in a global context characterized by the advance of civil society and democratic projects, and where the decline of authoritarian experiences was evident, especially in Latin America (with its various military dictatorships) and Eastern Europe (under Soviet rule). Today, democratizing projects and the vitality of civil society seem to have weakened in a context where capitalism has become the predominant model of production. How can the CST be thought of in this context of authoritarian regressions? How can CST explain the crisis of democracy in different national contexts? How are these regressive tendencies an opportunity to expand the CST program and better account for the tensions between democracy and capitalism?