ABSTRACT
The existence of a new or novel triggering event is not, in itself, enough to guarantee the emergence of a constraint effort. In contrast to instances where a triggering event or elite action can be integrated into pre-existing issue camps or positions by elite actors, instances in which a new public issue, grievance, or demand emerges may develop into a constraint effort. The Komen example illustrates both the role of the intermediate public and the significance of symbolic capital in constraint efforts. While social constraint may simply become a part of the normal flux of elite competition, creating advantages for some and disadvantages for others, it may also serve to weaken broader elite/non-elite divisions. One highly significant means of decreasing the practicability of constraint efforts, particularly those involving social and/or physical mechanisms is through surveillance of online communications. The net effect of social constraint emerging from the intermediate public on the public elite is thus ambiguous.
