POLRES
How affective polarization shapes trajectories of nonviolent resistance
Tbilisi – election protests, 28 October 2024, Jelger Groeneveld, CC BY 2.0.
Around the world, citizens are increasingly turning to nonviolent protest to resist democratic erosion and demand political change
Yet the expansion of popular mobilization has coincided with declining effectiveness among nonviolent campaigns. POLRES examines whether and how affective polarization contributes to this pattern.
The project asks how deep political divisions shape the environments in which resistance movements emerge, develop, and pursue change. It examines how polarization affects participation, coalition-building, and government responses to protest, as well as the broader prospects for grassroots action in divided societies.
Through comparative, multi-method research across multiple cases, POLRES brings the study of affective polarization into conversation with research on contentious politics and nonviolent resistance. Its goal is to advance our understanding of contemporary protest and identify the conditions under which grassroots movements can contribute to democratic resilience.
Meet the team
Publications
Work from the project will be posted here as it becomes available.