NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AS SUBJECTS OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION: SUBSTANTIVE AND FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The article examines the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as subjects of the political process in the context of democratic transformation. The author analyzes the substantive and functional aspects of NGO activities, in particular their ability to form alternative political narratives, mobilize social groups, influencethe political agenda, and rethink structures of civic participation. The focus is on theoretical approaches to thepolitical subjectivity of NGOs, the challenges of their legitimacy, accountability, and effectiveness. Based on a critical analysis of contemporary political science literature, the study highlights the dual nature of the influence of NGOs – as factors of democratization and, at the same time, potential agents of institutional tension in the political process. The article focuses on the need to rethink NGOs as active actors of the political process, capableof shaping not only public opinion but also new models of democratic representation. The aim of the article is to theoretically understand the role of non-governmental organizations as active subjects of the modern politicalprocess, in particular their ability to form alternative narratives, mobilize social groups, influence the politicalagenda and change the structures of political participation in the conditions of democratic transformation. The results of the study demonstrate the multifaceted role of non-governmental organizations as active subjects of the political process. Non-governmental organizations perform the functions not only of providers of social services and defenders of certain interests, but also of important actors in the political sphere, capable of shaping publicopinion, influencing the political agenda and acting as mediators between the state and society. The analysis oftypologies of non-governmental organizations revealed the evolution of their ideological orientations from charityto empowerment. At the same time, the study revealed certain limitations in the political scientific understanding of the role of non-governmental organizations, in particular, insufficient attention to their institutional nature and influence on political processes.