The strong democratic perspective sees civil society as severely withered and requiring rehabilitation. It rejects the diametric opposition of public and private sectors and posits civil society as a mediating third sector, defined by its civic communities or voluntary membership associations. Building a strong civil society requires a clear idea of what it is and a clear notion of the pitfalls to avoid in helping it develop. Such activities include going to church or synagogue or mosque, doing volunteer work, participating in a civic association, supporting a philanthropy, joining a fraternal organization, contributing to a charity, working in a parent-teacher group or neighborhood watch or hospital fundraising society, or joining with neighbors to clean a local park, and, of course, engaging in family affairs. Strengthening civil society, however, is a difficult and delicate matter.
Barber proposes many arenas for legislative action to energize civil society.
Others have to do with using advances in technology to promote communication, and preventing commercialization from destroying their civic potential. He also suggests developing national community service programs and service learning programs for college students. Barber outlines a Corporate Civic Compact for Private Sector Citizens that would bind corporate managers and citizens to a set of principles including respect for civil society s noncommercial character, support for civic diversification of public space, encouragement of worker participation and share-holding, establishment of compensation standards limiting the ratio of executive salaries to worker s wages, etc. The changing nature of work plays a role in the struggle against unchecked corporate and government power. This cuts into the time people have to participate in civil society and shape their environment s political and social contours.