Governmental capacity causally shapes the character of contentious politics

Evidence

Starting and ending with Peru, we have observed enormous variations in how rulers have prescribed, tolerated, and forbidden different varieties and locations of claim-making. Broadly speaking, we have seen capacity as governing the actual reach of governmental authorities: low-capacity governments, for example, exert significant control close to their operating bases, but intervene in contention much less vigorously, effectively, and continuously outside of that zone. The weak grip of Peruvian government on the highlands, as compared with coastal lowland Lima, illustrates the point. High-capacity governments, on the average, exert more energetic, effective, and continuous control over public claim-making throughout their territories. This is no tautology, since we can judge capacity quite outside the realm of contentious politics by the effectiveness with which government agents intervene in social life at large. Change and variation in governmental capacity cause change and variation in the character of contentious politics. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 1310

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 1310
• XREF: connects to: Rising governmental capacity raises revolution’s stakes and impact while reducing fragmentation — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 1067; Governmental coercion increases rather than suppresses political conflict — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4330; Uneven territorial control shapes the repertoire of contentious politics — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 193 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Regime capacity and democracy jointly shape prevailing contentious repertoires. #corroborates (0.92) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 533
• Governmental coercion increases rather than suppresses political conflict #corroborates (0.85) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4330
• Uneven territorial control shapes the repertoire of contentious politics #exemplifies (0.85) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 193