From Dissent to Democracy

Peaceful protest is a strong driver for democratization across the globe. Yet it doesn't always lead to democratic transition as seen in the Arab Spring revolutions in Egypt or Yemen. Why do some nonviolent transitions end in democracy while others do not? In <em>From Dissent to Democracy</em> Jonathan Pinckney systematically examines transitions initiated by nonviolent resistance campaigns and argues that two key factors explain whether or not democracy will follow such efforts. First a movement must sustain high levels of social mobilization. Second it must direct that mobilization away from revolutionary maximalist goals and tactics and towards support for new institutions. Pinckney tests his theory by presenting a global statistical analysis of all political transitions from 1945-2011 and three case studies from Nepal Zambia and Brazil. Original and empirically rigorous this book provides new insights into the intersection of democratization and nonviolent resistance and gives actionable recommendations for how to encourage democratic transitions.<br>