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  2. Rebellious Civil Society: Popular Protest and Democratic Consolidation in Poland, 1989-1993

Rebellious Civil Society: Popular Protest and Democratic Consolidation in Poland, 1989-1993

Grzegorz Ekiert and Jan Kubik 1999
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Poland is the only country in which popular protest and mass opposition, epitomized by the Solidarity movement, played a significant role in bringing down the communist regime. This book, the first comprehensive study of the politics of protest in postcommunist Central Europe, shows that organized protests not only continued under the new regime but also had a powerful impact on Poland's democratic consolidation.

Following the collapse of communism in 1989, the countries of Eastern Europe embarked on the gargantuan project of restructuring their social, political, economic, and cultural institutions. The social cost of these transformations was high, and citizens expressed their discontent in various ways. Protest actions became common events, particularly in Poland. In order to explain why protest in Poland was so intense and so particularized, Grzegorz Ekiert and Jan Kubik place the situation within a broad political, economic, and social context and test it against major theories of protest politics. They conclude that in transitional polities where conventional political institutions such as parties or interest groups are underdeveloped, organized collective protest becomes a legitimate and moderately effective strategy for conducting state-society dialogue. The authors offer an original and rich description of protest movements in Poland after the fall of communism as a basis for developing and testing their ideas. They highlight the organized and moderate character of the protests and argue that the protests were not intended to reverse the change of 1989 but to protest specific policies of the government.

This book contributes to the literature on democratic consolidation, on the institutionalization of state-society relationship, and on protest and social movements. It will be of interest to political scientists, sociologists, historians, and policy advisors.

Grzegorz Ekiert is Professor of Government, Harvard University. Jan Kubik is Associate Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University.
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ISBN(s)
  • 978-0-472-02731-6 (ebook)
  • 978-0-472-08830-0 (paper)
Subject
  • Political Science:Comparative Politics
  • European Studies:Eastern European Studies
Citable Link
  • Table of Contents

  • Stats

  • Cover
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • Acknowledgments
  • Chapter 1. Introduction
  • Chapter 2. Political Crises and Popular Protest under State Socialism
  • Chapter 3. Post-1989 Poland: Basic Trends in Politics, Economy, and Society
  • Chapter 4. Three Realms of Politics and Regime Change
  • Chapter 5. Protest Politics in Postcommunist Poland
  • Chapter 6. The Fall of the Suchocka Government: Interaction of Popular Protest and Conventional Politics
  • Chapter 7. Cultural Frames and Discourses of Protest
  • Chapter 8. Conclusions: Collective Protest and Democratic Consolidation
  • Appendix A. Data Collection Protocol
  • Appendix B. Chronology of Major Events, 1989-1993
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Index
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