Social Protest and Policy Reform

Abstract

Extraordinary policy-making may be triggered by critical elections and political crises, but it may also be related to major waves of collective action, especially when all three of these—as in France in 1968—are present. But protest is seldom sufficient on its own to effectuate major reforms; as the case of the French Loi d'Orientation for higher education shows, it requires a reformist faction in the elite ready to take advantage of the political opportunities offered by protest. Even then, as the same case shows, the effects of protest are quickly dissipated and the season for protest-induced reformism is short. Protest cycles or other crises are best seen as necessary, but not sufficient conditions for extraordinary policy-making.