The Advantage of Disadvantages: How Do Protests by Marginalized Groups Produce Policy Change?

Featured Speaker: Professor LaGina Gause

Protests, including marches, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, and petitions, are all over U.S. newspapers, television outlets, and socia media pages. These events provide opportunities for people to voice their protests and concerns about issues ranging from gun legislation, immigration policy, and abortion, to civil rights, healthcare, education, and employment practices. But do protests also change policies? Professor Gause draws on insights from political science, economics, and sociology to understand the political power of protests by some of the most marginalized members of society.

Presenter Biography

LaGina Gause is Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC San Diego. She received her PhD in Public Policy and Political Science and her MA in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and her BA in Political Science from Howard University. Her research explores the political power of marginalized groups with an emphasis on race and ethnic politics, class inequalities, protests, and representation in the United States. She is the author of The Advantage of Disadvantage: Costly Protest and Political Representation for Marginalized Groups.

Coordinator: Michele Bolton