New Approaches to Contentious Politics

Youth Activism and Contentious Politics in Egypt

“…37 Sedgwick adds the important category of noneconomic legitimacy, which is a regime's capacity to resolve political problems. 38 External legitimacy, on the other hand, is the perception of a certain regime as legitimate by the leading international Western powers and international organizations. This is important, because it undergirds a regime, especially one that suffers from economic problems with revenues and rents.…”

“…For instance, limited demands for wage increases are less threatening to dictators than challenges to the power structure of the regime itself or demands for political reform. 48 The differences in government reactions to these demonstrations can be explained through Tarrow and Tilly's understanding of "contained" versus "transgressive" contention. The first is contention that falls within the regime's tolerated forms of contention, "even if it pushes the limits."…”

“…61 All societies display a few well-established claims for collective action and shared interests, from which various actors choose from a range of familiar performances. 62 Repertoires are dependent on the various identities, social ties, and different organizational forms within the society. During contention, or while watching others contend, activists "learn the interactions that can make a political difference as well as the locally shared meanings of those interactions."…”

“…67 When challenging the authorities through public protests, opposition groups use frames that structure the rationale for collective action. 68 Sydney Tarrow argued in 2012 that the Arab uprisings were examples of the "moment of madness" leading either to violence or to normalization of new repertoires. 69 This requires a broader analysis of contentious repertoires in contemporary authoritarian regimes.…”

“…Tarrow, for instance, argues that personal relationships within networks are an important element in contentious politics, because if an organization is dismantled or banned, interpersonal networks can still survive. 79 Such interpersonal networks also contribute to developing movement identities.…”