High-capacity regimes route contention through government, making mobilization affect regime structure.

Evidence

Second, the scheme describes processes that commonly occur when a high-capacity, nondemocratic regime moves toward democracy. In a highcapacity regime, relatively little political contention occurs without involvement of governmental agents, but by that very token vigorous mobilization against the government produces changes in regime structure—either closing of ranks that reduces political opportunities for challengers or realignments that enhance those opportunities. In low-capacity, nondemocratic regimes, a great deal of contention occurs outside the reach of governmental agents, and consequently has less direct impact on the regime. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 664

Categorization

• XREF: Core mechanism for the reader’s hypothesis: in high-capacity regimes contention is necessarily state-mediated — the mechanism by which absorption could channel politicization into ‘rights defense.’ Tilly states the capacity side without the asymmetry the reader wants to add. — connects to: Higher regime capacity with some democratic freedoms produces intermediate contention — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 503; High-capacity mobilization hits the regime directly while low-capacity contention rarely does; Democratic high-capacity regimes exhibit distinctive patterned contention. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 378 (+10 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 664

Broader Connections

• High-capacity mobilization hits the regime directly while low-capacity contention rarely does #expands (0.84)
• Political contention engages state coercive power and affects regime future #expands (0.83) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 132
• Rising governmental capacity raises revolution’s stakes and impact while reducing fragmentation #expands (0.82) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 1067
• High-capacity semi-democratic regimes generated the social-movement repertoire that channeled revolutionary contention #exemplifies (0.80) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 1071
• Democratic high-capacity regimes exhibit distinctive patterned contention. #exemplifies (0.78) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 378
• Regime capacity and democracy jointly shape prevailing contentious repertoires. #expands (0.76) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 533