This course aims to provide you with a broad introduction to “contentious politics,” a term that encompasses protest, terrorism, and armed rebellion. Why do some revolutions succeed, while others fail? Is nonviolence effective? Do attacks on civilians usually backfire? Why do some movements create highly visible armies while others maintain a hidden network of terrorist cells? To explore these questions, the course combines classic works of political science and sociology with the latest data-driven research. In the process, we will learn how scholars of contentious politics test their theories, on what matters there is general agreement, and where debate still rages.
- Teacher: Matthew D Simonson
- TA: Shaul Shenhav