Publication

This brief explores the impact security forces have in determining the duration and success of nonviolent campaigns for political change. The text’s authors ultimately observe that 1) security forces often play a critical role in determining the duration of nonviolent agitation; 2) defections within the forces have a substantial impact on the success of nonviolent rebellions, but have little or no effect on violent ones; and 3) security agents "standing idly by" is a much more common response to nonviolent crusades than their opposite.