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Comparing Perceived Disruptiveness and Effectiveness of Protest Tactics

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: How do U.S. voters view the disruptiveness and effectiveness of social movement tactics? Strategically-used assertive tactics can enable movement success, though tactics considered too disruptive or violent may reduce public support. The authors investigate how U.S. voters perceive the disruptiveness and effectiveness of various protest tactics. In a representative survey experiment, 497 U.S. voters ranked the disruptiveness and effectiveness of 65 tactics. The authors find that tactics’ perceived disruptiveness and effectiveness exhibit an inverse relationship and a continuous character. The findings suggest that multiple, contextual factors influence public perceptions of protests.

Source: Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

DOI: 10.17615/qq9m-7y89

Authors: Furl, Katherine, Caren, Neal, Lu, Todd, Vo, Austin Hoang-Nam

Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: Electoral Systems and Political Participation

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W4414634197

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