Overview

Protest is usually framed as a moral act or a political gesture. This book treats it as something else. The Protest Economy examines protest and mass mobilisation as economic systems. It asks how people are mobilised at scale, how participation is sustained over time, how costs are distributed, and how incentives shape behaviour once protest becomes persistent rather than exceptional. Drawing on economics, political economy, and historical case studies, the book traces protest from ancient societies to the modern era, showing how collective action functions when formal institutions fail to absorb conflict. It explores logistics, coordination, signalling, funding structures, legal exposure, and the limits of sustained mobilisation. Rather than judging legitimacy or ideology, this book describes mechanisms. It explains why payment is a blunt and risky tool, why indirect incentives matter more than direct compensation, and why the long-term consequences of persistent protest tend to fall unevenly on participants, organisers, and institutions. Written for academic readers, policymakers, analysts, and serious general readers, The Protest Economy provides a framework for understanding protest as an economic force rather than a rhetorical one. This paperback edition is designed for extended reading and reference.

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9781919351728

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