Measuring the Civil Society Legal Environment in Developing Nations: The Case of Cambodia

International organizations channel funds for developing nations into nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) instead of governments they consider corrupt. These governments can hold considerable power over how NGOs can operate. Cambodia is one such nation and little is known about its laws on NGO operations. The study's purpose was two-fold: First, to examine the relationship between Cambodian laws and the size and effectiveness of its NGO sector; and second, to build upon the findings of the Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Law Index (JHNLI) by determining Cambodia's relationship on these measures to other nations in the survey. The theoretical foundation for this mixed methods case study is based on Salamon and Flaherty's theories of global perspectives on civil society governance. Research questions focused on understanding Cambodia's NGO laws and their effect on the size and effectiveness of its NGO sector. Research participants consisted of a purposive sample of 14 Cambodian NGO and legal experts who rated the 24 dimensions of the JHNLI. Using the JHNLI index formula, Cambodia's scores were calculated and adjusted based on World Bank indices, and then ranked with findings from other nations' JHNLI scores. The qualitative data collection consisted of compiling and reviewing laws that affect NGO operations. Quantitative findings indicated Cambodia's score to be the second lowest of 36 countries. Qualitative findings showed that Cambodia's laws enable NGOs, but its weak legal system may sabotage them. Implications for positive social change include using this analysis to inform development of the proposed Cambodian NGO law, which could strengthen its civil society; and adding to the global NGO law literature as part of JHNLI global data.