New publication by Ruud Wouters, together with Pauline Ketelaars, Stefaan Walgrave and Nina Eggert. “How Government Coalition affects Demonstration Composition. Comparing Twin Austerity Demonstrations in Belgium” is published at Acta Politica. Please read the abstract below.
Abstract:
Does the composition of a government affect the beliefs, motivations and mobilization trajectories of protest participants addressing the government? We make use of a straightforward research design to test how the loss of a left-wing ally in power affected the individual-level characteristics of participants in two ‘twin’ demonstrations. Both demonstrations were staged by the same organizers (trade unions) who launched identical campaigns on the same issue (austerities) in the same country (Belgium) forwarding the same demands (fair taxation). The first demonstration was staged in 2011 against a newly formed center-left government. The second demonstration was staged in 2014 against a newly formed center-right government. Relying on protest survey evidence, campaign material and insights of political opportunity structure theory (POS), we mount evidence that the loss of a left-wing ally produced a threat that resulted in (1) bleaker perceptions of participants (effectiveness, personal situation, trust), (2) the activation of informal mobilizing networks and (3) different motivational dynamics (less instrumental). As such, this study contributes to a better understanding of macro-micro dynamics in contentious politics. Conclusion and discussion center on ways of studying the macro-micro link in protest participation research.
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41269-017-0071-z