In 15 years, China has gone from having virtually no independent groups of any kind to more than 300,000 nongovernmental organizations, by official count. But that understates the true number. Counting unregistered groups, some estimates place the number as high as two million…. This explosion has begun to change the relationship between citizens and the government. Many activists say it has gradually pushed the authoritarian system in the direction of greater openness and accountability. It has also aroused strong concerns within the government, with some officials warning that nongovernmental organizations could become Trojan horses for Western-style democratization. (New York Times ^[1], Thursday)

It's a start.

FEE Timely Classic
Legislation and Law in a Free Society ^[2] by N. Stephan Kinsella