Ch.2 - What causes revolutions? Flashcards
What is a common misperception about revolutions?
Revolutions are often thought to be acts of frustration, but research shows that this view is wrong.
In what type of countries do revolutions occur more often?
Revolutions are more likely to occur in middle-income countries rather than in the very poorest nations.
Why doesn’t poverty alone cause revolutions?
While economic grievances play a role, the worst poverty, such as during famines, often does not lead to revolutions because the poorest lack the resources to overthrow governments.
Why can’t the poorest peasants and workers overthrow governments?
Poor peasants and workers cannot overthrow the government when faced with professional military forces determined to defend the regime.
What role do elites play in revolutions?
Elites often mobilize the population to help them overthrow the regime, and revolutions usually require significant portions of the elites or military to defect or stand aside.
What is the theory of “relative deprivation” in relation to revolutions?
Revolutions are sometimes said to occur when inequality or class differences grow unbearable, or when people’s expectations for progress are dashed.
Why doesn’t extreme inequality always lead to revolution?
Extreme inequality can lead to resignation and despair rather than revolution, as it often leaves the poor without the resources to create an effective revolutionary force.
What transforms poverty or inequality into motivations for revolution?
Belief that poverty or inequality is caused by regime incompetence, corruption, or favoritism, rather than being natural or inevitable, can turn these conditions into motivations for revolution.
How was modernization initially linked to revolutions?
How was modernization initially linked to revolutions? A: In the 1960s and 1970s, many believed that as societies modernized, inequality would rise, traditional authority would weaken, and people would demand new political regimes.
Why is modernization not consistently linked to revolutions?
Modernization affects countries differently—sometimes it undermines regimes, sometimes it strengthens authoritarian rulers, and sometimes it leads to smooth transitions to democracy.
What role do new ideologies play in revolutions?
New ideologies can play an important role in revolutionary mobilization, but they usually gain traction only after shifts in elite positions create space for new beliefs.
Why are poverty, inequality, modernization, and ideologies insufficient explanations for revolutions?
These factors alone cannot explain revolutions because society is not a passive structure that collapses under pressure; it consists of active people and groups whose actions reinforce the social order.
How do societies reproduce themselves over time?
Societies are continually reconstituted through overlapping relationships between rulers, elites, and popular groups, allowing them to remain resilient through crises like wars, famines, and rebellions.
What is the role of elites in maintaining social stability?
Elites act as intermediaries between the state and the populace, organizing political, economic, and educational activities, while supporting rulers in exchange for recognition and rewards.
How does the concept of “stable equilibrium” relate to societal stability?
In a stable equilibrium, society resists disturbances such as revolts or crises, with rulers, elites, and popular groups acting to restore the existing social order.
What happens in a society in “unstable equilibrium”?
In unstable equilibrium, a small disturbance can lead to an ever-increasing departure from the previous state, potentially triggering a revolution as social relationships break down.
What social conditions typically precede a revolution?
Before a revolution, rulers become weakened, elites become divided, and popular groups experience dissatisfaction with economic conditions, leading to a breakdown in loyalty and unity.
How does a revolution begin?
How does a revolution begin? A: A revolution begins when a moderate disturbance, such as a war or economic crisis, triggers popular uprisings and elite confrontations, leading to a coalition against the rulers and eventual regime change if the military defects.
Why is it difficult to predict when a revolution will occur?
Societies in unstable equilibrium may appear outwardly stable, with strikes and protests seeming insignificant until they escalate due to underlying elite discord and growing opposition within the military and police.
How is a revolution similar to an earthquake?
Like an earthquake, revolutions are hard to predict. Small disturbances may be dismissed, but they can signal deeper fault lines in society that, when triggered, lead to a sudden and dramatic upheaval.
What is required for a revolution to succeed against a professional military?
Revolutions succeed when significant portions of the elites and the military defect or stand aside, allowing popular groups to mobilize and challenge the regime.
How does relative deprivation influence revolutions?
While relative deprivation, or growing inequality and dashed expectations, can motivate people to protest, extreme inequality often leads to resignation, not revolution, unless it is blamed on the regime.
What role does modernization play in revolutions?
Modernization can sometimes destabilize regimes by breaking down traditional authority and increasing inequality, but it can also strengthen authoritarian regimes or lead to smooth democratic transitions, showing no consistent relationship with revolutions.
Why are new ideologies important in revolutions, but not sufficient?
New ideologies are essential in mobilizing revolutionary actions, but they only gain traction when shifts in elite positions create space for these ideas to spread, making them part of the revolution’s broader context.
What distinguishes revolutions from other forms of rebellion or unrest?
Revolutions uniquely combine the forcible overthrow of the government, mass mobilization, a vision of social justice, and the creation of new political institutions, unlike other forms of unrest like coups or rebellions.
How does a society in stable equilibrium react to crises such as revolts or economic downturns?
A society in stable equilibrium typically restores order after crises, with rulers, elites, and popular groups working together to reestablish the pre-existing social order.
What signals a shift from stable to unstable equilibrium in a society?
A shift to unstable equilibrium occurs when rulers lose control, elites become divided, and popular groups grow disillusioned, leading to a breakdown in the social order and the potential for revolution.
Why are reforms by rulers often ineffective in preventing revolutions?
Reforms by rulers are often too little, too late, and can create additional uncertainty, further destabilizing the regime and intensifying opposition rather than calming discontent.
How do elites contribute to the onset of revolutions?
Elites often mobilize popular groups against the regime when they feel their own interests are threatened or when they perceive the rulers as unjust, playing a crucial role in initiating revolutions.
What is the “paradox of revolution”?
The paradox of revolution is that societies may appear stable on the surface, but underlying elite discord and popular discontent can remain hidden until a seemingly small disturbance triggers widespread unrest and revolution.
What challenge do social scientists face in predicting revolutions?
Social scientists can identify growing tensions and “faults” in a society, but they cannot predict exactly when a revolution will occur, similar to predicting earthquakes.
What is the first necessary condition for revolution?
National economic or fiscal strains, which disrupt the flow of income to rulers and elites, often leading to increased taxes, borrowing, and discontent.
How does growing elite alienation contribute to revolution?
When elites feel systematically excluded or unfairly treated by the regime, they may seek reforms or, if blocked, mobilize popular discontent to overthrow the regime.
What is a key factor in revolutionary mobilization among the populace?
Widespread popular anger at injustice, where people feel they are losing their place in society due to unjust actions by elites or rulers, rather than inevitable causes.
