ABSTRACT
Some of the most dramatic political events of recent times have involved protests against authoritarian regimes. Such protests showcase both the power and danger of nonviolent strategies, as protests can lead to the downfall of the authoritarian regime or to violent repression of the opposition. Authoritarian governments that are internally divided or that exercise power through semidemocratic institutions were largely less repressive in response to protests and were more vulnerable to democratization. This chapter examines outcomes of the ten selected protest waves. A theoretically grounded analysis must consider the literature on protest, social movements, and nonviolent action. Many works on social movements, revolutions, and democratization have taken a structural approach that contrasts with the civil resistance literature.
