“Protest Publics” in Egypt and Turkey from 2011 till Present Days: Assessment of Impact on Political Changes

Abstract

The article suggests a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of protest publics on the mechanism of political changes. An analysis of protests in Egypt and Turkey shows the non-linear nature of the political changes. It also highlights different roles that the protest publics could play in the mechanism of political changes: depending on the prevailing conditions and the actions of other actors, protest publics can build coalitions with other actors and provide democratic changes (“triggers” of democratic development) or protest publics can provide democratic alternative by developing democratic practices of civil participation. This trend is marginal, though, comparing with the dominant tendency towards strengthening of authoritarian regimes (“democratic innovators in authoritarian environment).” Authors raise further research questions of modeling the mechanisms of political changes in the conditions of the growing wave of democratization – in embedded democracies, as well as in consolidated democracies, in hybrid and authoritarian regimes, – on the one hand, and the crisis of traditional democratic institutions – representative democracy, political parties – on the other.

Keywords

• protests
• arab spring
• middle east
• egypt
• turkey
• protest publics
• political actors
• political change