Uneven Impacts. Comparing Policy Outcomes of Sectoral Mobilization in Protest Waves

• In Event: Political and Other External Consequences of Social Movements

Abstract

Waves of protest bring together mobilization from multiple sectors in a short span of time. Besides, they are linked to changes in the institutional arena. This paper addresses the puzzle of why some sectors have a greater or lesser policy impact in the same cycle of contention. Building on theories of political process, political mediation, and political economy, I address the differential institutional effects of sectoral mobilization within a particular protest wave. Using rich historical data, the study traces and compares the policy outcomes of the mobilized sectors during El Salvador’s 1927-1931 cycle of contention. As baseline conditions, the protest wave began with a multisectoral coalition contending to expand a small window of opportunity for political regime liberalization. In the following moment, marked by expanding political opportunities and growing economic threats, mobilized groups displayed collective action looking for favorable policy outcomes for their constituents. The three major mobilized sectors were workers, college students, and the urban poor. The study examines the institutional changes associated with each sector’s mobilization and assesses the drivers for the divergent results. While workers achieved relative success with a major labor reform, students were a case of relative failure, seeing their demands for educational reform frustrated. The urban poor were positioned in a middle ground, obtaining concrete policy concessions. Combinations of mobilizing conditions –organizational strength, the efficacy of strategies of action, and the resonance of demands– contribute to explaining the differential sectoral outcomes. Meanwhile, political mediation factors only moderated or enhanced some of these results.

Author

• Luis Ruben Gonzalez Marquez, Tulane University