Democracy through association councils? Associations’ involvement in local councils in culture and recreation

It is widely assumed that associations can play a democratic role as a link between citizens and the political system, but associations do not always fulfill this role on their own. There are several local association councils, especially in culture and recreation, i.e., umbrella organizations for associations in the respective areas, and they can play a mediating role between associations and municipalities. However, to realize this potential, associations must engage in the councils, but this is not always the case. Based on a survey among cultural and leisure associations in four Danish municipalities, this article examines variation in the associations’ engagement in local association councils. Results show that more human resources in the associations and a higher degree of local orientation positively affect engagement, and that sports associations are more likely to engage than other types of associations.