Date of Award

Spring 5-2026

Language

English

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Political Science

Advisor/Committee Chair

Peter Breiner

Committee Member

Timothy Weaver

Abstract

Around the world, organized forms of protest have become the central mechanism through which citizens attempt to hold political elites accountable and keep urgent public issues alive. Protest is not a new concept; it started from mass street mobilizations to digitally networked movements. Collective action increasingly serves as an alternative arena for exercising democratic voice when institutions appear unresponsive. Ancient Greece was the first to coin the word "democracy," meaning "rule by the people" (National Geographic, Democracy, n.d.). Elections, parties, and public institutions are designed to channel citizens' voices into policy outcomes, but in practice, these mechanisms often fall short. Due to the widening distrust and growing distance between citizens and elites, protest has reemerged as a central statement of democratic participation. Yet despite their potential to revitalize democratic accountability, not all movements succeed. Some movements generate substantial institutional responses by shifting the political agendas, while others fade without impact and become absorbed into the system that they sought to challenge. This paper looks into a core puzzle within the study of protest and democracy: How do organized movements sustain democratic accountability, and when do they fail to do so? The paper argues that protests can reinforce democratic accountability but only under certain conditions. Symbolic protests shape public discourse and create moments of moral visibility, whereas programmatic protests build organized demands and pressure institutions to act. Effective movements take place when they combine symbolic visibility with concrete plans that create pressures that lead to a credible threat of disruption. It’s not just about expressing dissatisfaction but about creating a durable network that keeps on generating alternative space for political engagement. This paper evaluates these dynamics through several global case studies by comparing symbolic and concrete protest forms and analyzing how they shape elite behavior.

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