Erica Chenoweth
Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment
Nonviolent Action Lab
Understanding how nonviolent action can achieve democratic aims.
Related Programs
Crowd Counting Consortium, Nonviolent and Violent Campaigns and Outcomes Data Project, Women in Resistance Data Project
Nonviolent resistance movements defended democratic values and institutions throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. However, the trend seems to have shifted. Over the past decade, authoritarian backsliding has occurred across the globe, and mass movements demanding democracy have been defeated in about 90% of cases since 2010.
The Nonviolent Action Lab is an innovation hub for activists, researchers, and supporters who share common goals around defending and advancing democracy worldwide through civil resistance — protests, demonstrations, and other actions. The Lab produces and disseminates up-to-date knowledge on nonviolent action, how it works, and global trends in success and failure.
“Authoritarianism is winning — particularly against pro-democracy movements. Movements need a new playbook for responding to these developments![]()
Erica Chenoweth
Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment
Now Streaming: Nonviolent Action Lab Podcast
The new Nonviolent Action Lab Podcast brings you the latest research, insights, and ideas on how nonviolent action can — or sometimes fails — to transform injustice. Each week, Nonviolent Action Lab’s Jay Ulfelder welcomes experts from the field, scholars, organizers, and advocates to discuss nonviolent movements around the world. Find new episodes listed below, via Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Meet the Team
Freddy Guevara
Democracy Visiting Fellow, AY2024-2025
Soha Hammam
Nonviolent Action Lab Research Associate
Thomas Hayes
Fellow, Nonviolent Action Lab
Jonathan Jayes-Green
Democracy Visiting Fellow, AY2024-2025
Jie (Jason) Lian
Democracy Visiting Fellow, AY2024-2025
Jay Ulfelder
Research Project Manager, Nonviolent Action Lab
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The latest news, resources, and research
Video
Reinvigorating People Power: Lessons Learned from Civil Resistance Leaders
The Ash Center invites you to watch a panel discussion with civil resistance leaders from around the world discussing their experiences and lessons learned from fighting dictatorships over the past ten years.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Echoes of Police Violence
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Review of Left-Wing Protest Activity in 2022
CCC logged more than 13,400 left-wing protests across more than 2,000 different U.S. cities and towns
Commentary
Counting Crowds Consortium: Review of Right-Wing U.S. Protest Activity in 2022
CCC logged more than 5,700 right-wing events in 2022
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: 2020 Anti-Racism Protests and Their Aftermath in Connecticut
This is a guest post by Mason Holland, an undergraduate student at the University of Connecticut majoring in Political Science. He also serves as President of the Student Body.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Escalating Right-Wing Attacks on the LGBTQ+ Community
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Demographic Change and Anti-CRT Protest in U.S. Counties
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Right-Wing Backlash Against COVID-19 Mitigation Measures
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Pro-Palestine Movement of 2021
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Protest Themes in Biden’s First 100 Days
So far, the Crowd Counting Consortium has logged just over 5,300 events since Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: FIPS Codes!
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Monthly Review: March 2021
The Crowd Counting Consortium recorded more than 1,800 protest events in the U.S. in March 2021, with roughly 88,000 to 125,000 participants in the events.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Stop Asian Hate
Since the Atlanta-area murders, we have logged 126 events focused on this issue, most of them this past Saturday and Sunday, March 20–21.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consoritum: Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor
So far, the Crowd Counting Consortium has identified 47 events honoring Taylor on the anniversary of her death in more than 30 localities.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: It’s the Climate Change, Stupid!
One issue has dominated environmental protest activity in the U.S. for at least the past four years, and that’s climate change.
