Occupy protesters are pictured in Oakland, California, in 2011. The movement, known for its slogan “We are the 99 percent,” criticized mainstream political parties for representing the interests of the rich. It was part of a global wave of anti-partisan protests that have disrupted politics in recent years. Photo by Brian Sims via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons.

Graduate student co-authors new research showing how elites leverage anti-party protests to disrupt politics

Author: Josh Stowe

Protest movements that reject political parties have an unintended consequence, according to research co-authored by Ann Mische, associate professor of sociology and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, and Tomás Gold, a Notre Dame Ph.D. candidate and Ph.D. Fellow at the Keough School’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies: They empower savvy politicians, who channel them to shake up the status quo. The findings provide a framework for understanding recent global political realignments and offer lessons for activists who want to make a meaningful impact. 

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