Erica Chenoweth
Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment
Protest and Dissent
Our team explores how protest and dissent serve as vital forces in democratic societies, shaping public discourse, advancing social change, and informing scholarly research on civic participation and institutional accountability.
Related Programs
Protest and dissent are essential expressions of democratic life, enabling individuals and communities to voice grievances, demand accountability, and advocate for political and social change. Through public demonstration, artistic expression, digital activism, and other forms of collective action, dissent shapes public discourse and influences institutional reform.
Our scholars research on protest and dissent examines their role in strengthening democratic responsiveness, protecting fundamental freedoms, and navigating the tensions between authority and civic participation.
Meet The Experts
Zoe Marks
Lecturer in Public Policy
Liz McKenna
Assistant Professor of Public Policy
Soha Hammam
Research Project Manager, Nonviolent Action Lab
Christopher Shay
Research Associate, Crowd Counting Consortium
Matthew Cebul
Lead Research Fellow for the Nonviolent Action Lab, AY2025-2026
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Monthly Review – February 2021
So far, we’ve recorded 980 protest events in the U.S. in February 2021, with about 29,000 to 35,000 reported participants in them.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Dude, Where’s My Protest?
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Contours of the George Floyd Uprising
Just how large and broad was that wave of protests after the death of George Floyd? How destructive was it? And how did police and right-wing counter-protesters respond to it?
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Trump-Era Themes in U.S. Protests
Under the Trump administration, what did Americans protest about?
Feature
How Authoritarian Police Thrive in Democracy
Kennedy School Assistant Professor Yanilda González delves into the roots of police violence in democratic countries in her latest book.
Video
Book Talk — Authoritarian Police in Democracy: Challenges for Latin America and the US
The Ash Center and Carr Center for Human Rights hosted an event for the launch of Authoritarian Police in Democracy: Contested Security in Latin America by HKS Assistant Professor Yanilda María González.
Article
The science of contemporary street protest: New efforts in the United States
Since the inauguration of Donald Trump, there has been substantial and ongoing protest against the Administration. Street demonstrations are some of the most visible forms of opposition to the Administration and its policies. This article reviews the two most central methods for studying street protest on a large scale: building comprehensive event databases and conducting field surveys of participants at demonstrations.