Srdja Popovic is the co-founder of CANVAS, and was a founding member of the Otpor! (“Resistance!”) a movement that had a crucial part in bringing down the Milosevic regime in Serbia. He recently coauthored an article in the Journal of Democracy with Sophia McClennen and Joe Wright called, “How to Sharpen a Nonviolent Movement.”... Continue Reading →
By Fabio Angiolillo Protests in China The current protests in China are not yet a threat to regime survival, still they deliver an important message from young and highly educated citizens: Listen to us! Spontaneous protests have taken place across major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and elsewhere. Young, highly educated, and relatively... Continue Reading →
Ukraine Shows the Limits to Political Protest Last week a listener of the podcast emailed me. She raised the possibility of civil resistance as an alternative for Ukraine to oppose Russia's military invasion. Some readers will dismiss the idea as naive. However, the publication of Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan brought... Continue Reading →
Become a Patron! Urban Revolutions Revolution has changed over the past forty years. It has transformed from violent civil wars into massive mobilizations of unarmed protesters. However, Mark Beissinger believes the most important change in revolutions involves where events take place. He argues revolutions have moved from the countryside into cities. Moreover, the difference between... Continue Reading →
Why Don't Russians Revolt? As sanctions continue to devastate the Russian economy, some have hoped the Russian people might rise up in revolt. However, Vladimir Putin's approval ratings have remained high or even increased. Of course, it's difficult to ascertain the genuine level of support in such a repressive environment. But plenty of anecdotal evidence... Continue Reading →
Mark Beissinger is a professor of politics at Princeton University and the author of the new book The Revolutionary City: Urbanization and the Global Transformation of Rebellion. Become a Patron! I think the revolutionary process has become somewhat less consequential in some ways. The ability to bring about substantive change in the wake of... Continue Reading →
The Politics of Violence is an authoritarian impulse present in all forms of government including democracy. This is the fourth section on my description of democracy and part of a larger comprehensive work called The Democracy Paradox. Police as a Coercive Apparatus of the State The trial of Derek Chauvin and the murder of George Floyd... Continue Reading →
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4TMIBdtSDteLnLYBLuNDv4 Jonathan Pinckney is a program office with the Program on Nonviolent Action at the United States Institute of Peace and the author of From Dissent to Democracy: The Promise and Perils of Civil Resistance Transitions. This is the third part of a three episode arc called, "Resistance, Revolution, Democracy." My conversation with Erica Chenoweth explored... Continue Reading →
This is the first conversation in a three part episode arc called "Resistance, Revolution, Democracy." In this interview, Erica Chenoweth explains why civil resistance is more effective than violent resistance, why it is more likely to bring about democracy, and the strengths and challenges every campaign faces. This interview sets the stage for the... Continue Reading →
