Perceptions and Drivers of Civic Activism: The Cases of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Poland

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is considered a laboratory for both democratization and democratic backsliding, but little is known still about how ordinary citizens perceive and make decisions about whether and how to civically engage. To address this gap, we use focus group interviews to supplement our data from nationally representative surveys in Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Our fieldwork makes three contributions. First, the decisions people in both countries make about whether to engage in civic activism are shaped more by opportunities for action and impact on priority issues than by levels of acceptance of democratic norms. Second, the nature of citizen engagement tends to be through non-institutionalized, grassroots activism in response to a need or threat. Third, people in Poland are more likely to participate around abstract issues like rule of law while people in BiH are more often motivated by everyday problems. These insights suggest the use of focus groups after surveys deepens understanding of civic engagement in CEE.