Why Most Protests Fail Ft. Erica Chenoweth | Prof G Conversation

Erica Chenoweth, political scientist and professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School, joins Scott Galloway to break down what actually makes protest movements succeed.
They discuss why most movements fail, the four factors that drive real change, and why mass mobilization alone isn’t enough. They also unpack the “3.5% rule,” the role of business and institutional power, and whether economic resistance can be more effective than taking to the streets.

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Timestamps
00:00 - In This Episode
00:36 - How would you describe your research?
02:13 - What do most movements get wrong?
04:03 - Can you evaluate the No Kings protests?
07:18 - How important is demographic diversity to a protest’s effectiveness?
09:35 - Are younger Americans more cynical about protests than older generations?
12:00 - Could protest momentum translate into higher turnout and impact elections?
13:02 - Ad Break
14:15 - Where does the 3.5% threshold come from, and how meaningful is it?
18:10 - What is the media getting wrong about the protests in Iran?
21:13 - Is having a spokesperson key to resistance?
22:53 - Are there historical parallels to corporate silence during political upheaval?
27:08 - Ad Break
29:34 - What’s more effective: mass protests or coordinated economic shutdowns?
32:09 - If you were in charge of organizing a protest, what would it look like?
36:35 - Can you talk about the “democracy U-turn” in South Korea?
39:07 - How did you start working in this field?


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