Solidarity No More? Democratization and the Transformation of State–Social Movements Relations

Abstract

When some members of yesterday’s opposition organizations enter the state upon democratic breakthrough, does this empower or weaken the mission of the organizations left behind? While little research has been directed at this important element of democratization, I leverage the existing interdisciplinary social movement literature to create a series of forward-reaching arguments, based on identities, networks and opportunity structures. In the context of current studies, each of these factors should provide advantage to organizations with colleagues now in the state. By contrast, I argue that identities and personal networks developed during the struggle provide movement activists with opportunities to influence minor issues, but that new and differing institutional pressures create schisms on broader policy that turn prior bonds into a liability rather than an asset. I use elite interviews and media analyses in the case of post-democratic breakthrough Poland to evaluate three competing arguments, focused on identities, networks and institutions.