The Demise of NGOs

Civil Society is Losing Influence

In 1997, Jessica Matthews penned a piece for Foreign Affairs called “Power Shift,” which documented and defined the rise of international civil society—particularly NGOs—as dominant players in international affairs and foreign policy.

It’s hard to overstate how influential this piece was at the time, and for decades afterward. When I interviewed her for an episode of the Global Dispatches podcast about 10 years ago, I used a boomer-music analogy to make this point: it’s like The Velvet Underground’s debut album or Sgt. Pepper’s by The Beatles. It both captured and defined the zeitgeist of the post–Cold War era, in which power was shifting away from nation-states and toward non-state actors like NGOs, multinational companies, and international institutions. At a time when the contours of the post–Cold War world were still taking shape, her piece helped reframe how scholars and policymakers understood influence amid rapid globalization and technological change.

NGOs gained prominence and legitimacy by representing citizen voices, promoting human rights, and delivering essential services. Their nonprofit, principled character distinguished them from states and corporations, leading to expanded roles in international negotiations and development efforts—offering hope that civil society could help drive progressive global change. And they did. NGOs were key contributors to several landmark achievements—from the treaty to ban landmines, to the launch of the first international climate conferences, to the establishment of the International Criminal Court. On critical issues of human rights, social development, and the environment, NGOs were dominant players pushing for meaningful action.

Fast forward to 2025, and Foreign Affairs publishes a stark rebuttal to the optimism embedded in the “Power Shift” era. In a forceful new essay, scholars Sarah Bush and Jennifer Hadden deliver a sobering verdict: the age of the NGO is over. The power once ceded to civil society has come roaring back to the state—and this time, it's not letting go.

And they bring the receipts.