ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses mass organizations (MOs) in Vietnam, which are Party-State civil society organizations (CSOs), a special group that need to be studied independently. MOs are considered pro-state and are prioritized by the Party-State. Are MOs then really strong supporters of the authoritarian state, or do they have any routes to become “pure” CSOs? This chapter applies the theoretical lens of “smart authoritarianism” to examine MOs as supporters of the state under the new national Rural Society Development Program. The findings reveal that as long as the Party-State continues to control every aspect of their activities, the MOs are not strong state supporters in either their traditional roles in communication and mobilization or newly assigned ones as supervisors. The government’s attempt to bind MOs in a dependent and underfunded state will contribute to their rapid weakening in terms of coverage and membership numbers.
