Globalization, deepening interdependence, and the end of the cold war have brought a wide range of new challenges to nations around the world. Concurrently, domestic sociopolitical changes, greater pluralization of society, and changes in national and international markets and economies have produced strains on existing systems of governance. This new environment has opened the way for civil society to play an expanded and more active role, both domestically and internationally. Chapters examine the nexus between governance and civil society in China, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Korea, Thailand, and the United States. Authors examine the current state of civil society in their country, the challenges facing institutions of governance, the current debate of the need to reform domestic governance, and the evolution of the role of civil society in governance.