Levelling the Political Playing Field: How Nonviolent Resistance Influences Power Relations After Democratic Transition

Nonviolent resistance (NVR) is being used successfully as a strategy to depose dictators and achieve political change around the globe. This study explores how NVR not only advances democratic transition but also has a long-term effect on political power relations after transition. Bringing together the literatures on nonviolent resistance and political regimes, we develop a framework to analyze the effects of different modes of resistance on post-transition power relations in four different aspects: cabinet politics, party politics, peaceful turnover of power, and the political influence of civil society. Based on the in-depth analysis of two African democracies (Namibia and Benin), each resulting from a different mode of transition, we show that NVR levels the political playing field by fostering frequent elite replacement among government ministers, increasing the chances for peaceful political turnovers, inducing a more competitive and diverse party system, and creating a more inclusive environment for civil society organizations