Ruling by Other Means: State-Mobilized Movements

Description

What do states gain by sending citizens into the streets? Ruling by Other Means investigates this question through the lens of State-Mobilized Movements (SMMs), an umbrella concept that includes a range of (often covertly organized) collective actions intended to advance state interests. The SMMs research agenda departs significantly from that of classic social movement and contentious politics theory, focused on threats to the state from seemingly autonomous societal actors. Existing theories assume that the goal of popular protest is to voice societal grievances, represent oppressed groups, and challenge state authorities and other powerholders. The chapters in this volume show, however, that states themselves organize citizens (sometimes surreptitiously and even transnationally) to act collectively to advance state goals. Drawn from different historical periods and diverse geographical regions, these case studies expand and improve our understanding of social movements, civil society and state-society relations under authoritarian regimes.

Grzegorz Ekiert is Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government at Harvard University. Elizabeth J. Perry is Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government at Harvard University. Yan Xiaojun is Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong.

'This brilliant volume shines penetrating light on a hidden phenomena: state mobilization of popular action. While social movements are usually thought to only oppose state bureaucracies or contend with popular counter-movements, this book shows that this is only half the story. States routinely pursue their goals, seeking to defeat social movements by actively mobilizing pro-state movements. Combining fresh theoretical insights with coverage of cases from around the world, this is a must-read volume for anyone studying social movements and state power.' Jack A. Goldstone, George Mason University 'Ruling by Other Means turns social mobilization on its head. The contributors to this powerful volume demonstrate how states have taken the very tool most often used against them to shore themselves up. Instead of focusing on protests in which people cry out against the state, this stellar collection crafts an innovative approach, analyzing how state leaders mobilize citizens against both real and imagined enemies.' Joel S. Migdal, University of Washington, Seattle 'For far too long, scholars in both political science and sociology have conceptualized states and movements as qualitatively different actors. In an era in which the line between states and movements is increasingly blurry, Ruling by Other Means serves as a welcome corrective to the traditional view. Through a range of fascinating cases, the authors remind us that state actors can, and often do, appropriate the movement form to buttress their rule.' Douglas McAdam, Stanford University