The World Bank and Shrinking Civic Space
Date: Original publication September 2024
Author(s): Rachel Nadelman and Ricardo Vergel Negrón
Publication type: Book chapter
Published by: In "The Elgar Companion to the World Bank," edited by Antje Vetterlein and Tobais Shcmidtke
This chapter focuses on the potential – and necessity – for change in the World Bank’s treatment of civic space. It argues that as a consequence of the Bank’s blind spot regarding civic space, it continues to be unequipped to prepare for or manage the fallout of civic space shifts, restrictions, and outright closures. The authors make the case that the Bank could have a transformational impact by systematically assessing and addressing civic space in borrowing countries.
Note: This is the author accepted version of the chapter and was published on this site one year after the book publication date, in compliance with Edward Elgar Publishing’s Green Open Access Policy.
Rachel Nadelman is a Research Professor with the Accountability Research Center, hosted by the School of International Service at American University. She is a scholar-practitioner, seeking to pursue research on international development that offers opportunities for collaboration and can contribute to both scholarship and advocacy. She currently specializes in accountability and civic engagement in international development finance, focusing on the World Bank’s work with the public sector. For publications see www.researchgate.net/profile/Rachel-Nadelman/research.
Ricardo Vergel Negrón is a research collaborator at the Accountability Research Center at American University. He is an alumnus of the Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) at Carnegie Mellon University and has experience in government and the non-profit sector. His research interests focus on transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and education.