Making or Breaking Nonviolent Discipline in Civil Resistance Campaigns

Abstract

How can we understand when nonviolent movements will stay nonviolent? When are they likely to break down into violence? In this monograph, I analyze both what promotes and undermines nonviolent discipline in civil resistance movements. Combining quantitative research on thousands of nonviolent and violent actions with a detailed comparison of three influential cases of civil resistance during the “Color Revolutions,” the study provides important lessons for activists and organizers on the front lines, as well as for practitioners whose work may impact the outcomes of nonviolent struggles. We learn how repression consistently induces violence, as do government concessions. On the flip side, we see that structuring a campaign in an inclusive and non-hierarchical way is conducive to greater nonviolent discipline

Jonathan Pinckney

Assistant Professor

My research interests include civil resistance, democratization, and peacebuilding.