Variation at the Broker Level

Chapter 3 deepens the theoretical framework by examining variation among protest brokers and exploring how different types of brokers shape protest dynamics. It identifies two central relationships that define broker behavior: the broker’s connection to elites and their ties to the communities they mobilize. Building on these two dimensions, the chapter introduces four key types of protest broker – Issue, Elite, Group, and Independent – and demonstrates how each type influences patterns of protest. Specifically, the chapter explores how broker type affects the variety of issues protested, the likelihood of protests becoming violent, the duration of protests, and the mobilization tactics most likely to succeed. It also investigates the contextual and structural factors that give rise to different broker types within communities. By unpacking the causes and consequences of broker-level variation, this chapter shows that protest brokers are not a monolithic group, and that their differing motivations and positionalities significantly shape protest outcomes. This framework helps explain diverse protest patterns across geographic and political contexts, offering a more nuanced understanding of how collective action is organized and sustained.