This course will examine the variety of contentious actions that people participate in, ranging from peaceful protests to revolutions and other major episodes of political violence. Geographically, we will consider protest and political violence ranging from Latin America and other developing regions to post-industrial democracies such as the United States. We will also address three important analytical issues. First, we will analyze why people take the often risky step of opposing authority, and why people in other situations fail to resist. Second, we will examine why some movements and challenges are successful while others fail. Finally, we will address the government’s responses to such challenges. Spring Group I Diversity