Democracy and Autocracy in America Mini-Conference: Contention and Democracy

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Part of Mini-Conference

• Democracy and Autocracy in America

Session Description

Occupy Wall Street, the Yellow Jacket Movement, Black Lives Matters, the Chilean protests and
numerous other examples of large scale social movements in established democracies have
brought contentious politics back into focus. While contention is often seen as a way of bringing
about democracy, its role within existing democracies is unclear. Some see in it grave dangers
as politics moves outside formal institutions, other see in it potential for democratic
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rejuvenation as excluded groups may use such moments to challenge the terms of their
exclusion. This panel tackles these questions

Sub Unit

• Division 44: Democracy and Autocracy

Chairs

• Christian Phillip Sorace Colorado College

• Amel F. Ahmed University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Presenters

• Jason Frank Cornell University

• Erin Pineda Smith College

• Thea Riofrancos Providence College

• Jillian M. Schwedler Hunter College

• Camila Vergara Columbia University