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International Encyclopedia of Civil Society pp 1–9Cite as

Advocacy

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Definition

The word “advocacy” derives from the Latin ad vocare – “to speak to,” in other words to argue for a particular position. Initially coined for legal professionals (advocates) who argue for one side or the other in a dispute, in recent decades the term has become increasingly associated with groups of citizens who argue for a particular position, or set of positions, on a given issue.

While individuals, political lobbyists, and lawyers can conduct advocacy to advance their points of view, civil society organizations have become increasingly prominent in influencing the policies and programs of governments, corporations, and other institutions. These CSOs may primarily exist for other purposes, with their advocacy being ancillary to these purposes. For example, professional associations and consumer associations primarily exist to provide services, support, and advice to their members but may also advocate policies and actions that would benefit those members. And many...

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References

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Further Reading

  • Edwards, M., & Gaventa, J. (Eds.). (2001). Global citizen action. Boulder: Lynne Rienner.

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  • Gray, J., Lämmerhirt, D., & Bounegru, L. (2016). Changing what counts: How can citizen-generated and civil society data be used as an advocacy tool to change official data collection? Johannesburg: Data-Shift, CIVICUS.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Partnership for Transparency Fund, Washington, DC, USA

    John D. Clark

  2. Formerly World Bank, Washington, DC, USA

    John D. Clark

Authors
  1. John D. Clark
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John D. Clark .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Regina A. List

  2. Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Helmut K. Anheier

  3. Schar school, George Mason University, ARLINGTON, VI, USA

    Stefan Toepler

Section Editor information

  1. Hamburg, Germany

    Regina A. List

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Clark, J.D. (2020). Advocacy. In: List, R., Anheier, H., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_145-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_145-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99675-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99675-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Social SciencesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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