Researcher Studying Nonviolent Action, Peacebuilding, and Democratization
New book From Dissent to Democracy available now!
“We know a lot about when and how civil resisters overturn incumbent political regimes. Yet up until now, we have known little about why some nonviolent revolutions consolidate democracy while others fail to do so. In an empirically rich analysis, Jonathan Pinckney examines this important but surprisingly neglected topic. From Dissent to Democracy significantly advances our understanding of post-uprising factors that shape the long-term trajectories of nonviolent revolutions.” — Sharon Erickson Nepstad, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of New Mexico and author of Nonviolent Struggle: Theories, Strategies, and Dynamics
“Mass protests frequently drive democratization. But as the Arab Spring demonstrated, not all such mobilizations result in successful transitions to democratic rule; many such movements are successfully squashed. Combining high-quality statistical work as well as case studies of Brazil, Nepal and Zambia, Pinckney lands on some crucial lessons.” — Stephan Haggard, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of California San Diego and author (with Robert Kaufman) of Dictators and Democrats: Masses, Elites and Regime Change
The Montgomery Bus Boycott Master Class
I just finished reading Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s memoir of the 1955-1956 Montgomery bus boycott, which is typically thought of as the first major campaign of the civil rights movement. It’s an oversight in my education that I hadn’t read it before – particularly for someone who studies…
New Publication on Nonviolent Action and Peace Processes
Just had an article published in Conciliation Resources most-recent issue of Accord. The issue focuses on “Pioneering peace pathways: Making connections to end violent conflict” and they asked me to write about the various roles that nonviolent action movements can play in shaping peace processes. In my piece I highlight three particular ways that nonviolent…
Interview on “Democracy Paradox” Podcast
I had a really great time talking about nonviolent resistance and transitions to democracy with Justin Kempf on his podcast “Democracy Paradox.” We cover a lot of the core arguments from my book From Dissent to Democracy, including the importance of high levels of civic mobilization and the shift from revolutionary, maximalist goals and tactics…
Jonathan Pinckney, PhD 