Over the past decade, the third sector has had tremendous growth worldwide in both size and importance. As many countries struggle to address this changing reality, many have adopted policy initiatives aimed at changing the ways the third sector is addressed. It is a complex process, involving different fields of practice, different levels of government, and different types of third sector organizations.

The contributions to this timely volume detail the process as carried out in eight diverse countries, all of whom have recently enacted policy initiatives towards the third sector:

• UK

• US

• Canada

• Hungary

• Germany

• Ireland

• Israel

• Japan

The studies are comprehensive: from reviewing the current policy, enacting new laws, supervisory mechanisms, and modes of funding.

Featuring a postscript from Helmut Anheier (UCLA School of Public Policy, Los Angeles, CA, USA and Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany), the thorough analysis in this volume will provide a new understanding of the policy initiatives in the eight countries studied, as well as guiding principles for other countries that may implement such initiatives in the future. The resulting work will give researchers in sociology, social work, third sector research, and international economics a new framework for understanding the Third Sector: its role in society, and its relationships with government, the market, and the citizens of the country.

Inhalt
A Comprehensive Canadian Approach to the Third Sector: Creative Tensions and Unexpected Outcomes.- Nonprofits and Public Policy in the United States: The Evolution of Accountability.- Policy Initiatives Towards Civil Society in Germany.- Policy Initiatives Towards New Legal Framework for Japanese Civil Society.- Changing State-Civil Society Relationships in Ireland.- Policy Initiatives Towards the Third Sector Under the Conditions of Ambiguity: The Case of Hungary.- The Long Journey to the Promised Land: Policy Initiatives Towards the Third Sector in Israel.- On the Interdependence Between Politics and Policy in the Shaping of English Horizontal Third Sector Initiative.- Comparing Third Sector Policy: A Postscript and Six Theses.