ABSTRACT
Studies of social control and repression have primarily concentrated on police actions at protests, leaving other important methods of suppression such as legislative action and media slander under explored (Boykoff 2003). While there have been increased restrictions imposed on public demonstrations in the post-9/11 era, contemporary state-sanctioned measures encompass more than crackdowns on protestors. Moreover, the lack of media coverage about legislation that restricts civil liberties has become a new grievance for the peace movement. I conceptualize social control as the array of mechanisms by which sanctions are imposed to discourage activity that is perceived as a threat to the status quo. In this section I analyze post9/11 social control tactics employed by the state and mass media (including but not limited to restrictions of public protests) and the impact of such tactics on the peace movement. As agency is another important part of the political opportunity structure, I also explore peace activists’ impact on the political system.
