Chenoweth: Nonviolent Uprisings Effective for Change

Writing for Foreign Policy, Erica Chenoweth, assistant professor of government, explains why, on average, nonviolent uprisings are more successful than armed uprisings at creating governmental change, even in oppressive regimes. While such a claim may seem counter-intuitive, Chenoweth has spent several years researching the subject and found that, since the beginning of the 20th Century, nonviolent uprisings succeed far more often than armed rebellions. Chenoweth has recently co-authored a book with Maria J. Stephan on the subject titled, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict (Columbia University Press).