Articles by Benjamin Abrams
The Future of European Democracy: Fixing a Troubled Continent, 2019
Journal of Historical Sociology, 2021
Revolutionary theorists are currently immersed in a critical debate about the future of the field... more Revolutionary theorists are currently immersed in a critical debate about the future of the field. Allinson has argued that a fifth generation of revolutionary theory has passed us by without our noticing, while I have contended that it is revolutionary theory's fourth generation that is decidedly imperilled. Ritter and Beck-for their part-contend that we should reject the very idea of theoretical 'generations', and instead think of progress in revolutionary theory as a series of ongoing and settled debates about certain key topics. The pair contend that revolutionary theory has reached a consensus on two core debates: defining our object of study and determining appropriate methods. Contrary to this position, I argue that while there is much to praise about rejecting generational imagery, doing so necessarily entails that we also critique the self-proclaimed 'fourth generation' with which such imagery is intertwined. Furthermore, I argue that there does not yet exist consensus among revolutionary theorists about a single definition of revolution, or on the question of which methods to use. Finally, I call for a regeneration of revolutionary theory which moves genuinely beyond the generational mythologies of the past.
Journal of Historical Sociology, 2019
Despite revolution's recent return to the world stage, the progress of revolutionary theory has m... more Despite revolution's recent return to the world stage, the progress of revolutionary theory has markedly stalled. While some have argued that recent work on the 2011 Arab Spring constitutes a new, misguided 'fifth generation' of theory, I show this claim to be misplaced, demonstrating the remarkable continuity between foundational fourth-generation scholarship and present-day analyses. Furthermore, I critically analyse the theoretical, methodological and professional obstacles which fourth-generation theory has encountered, concluding that scholars must move beyond the fourth generation if we are to surmount them. Finally, I consider the theoretical, methodological and ethical prospects of a true fifth generation of revolutionary theory.
Contention: The Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Protest, 2018
In Contention volume 5, issue 2, Benjamin Abrams interviewed the political theorist John Dunn on ... more In Contention volume 5, issue 2, Benjamin Abrams interviewed the political theorist John Dunn on the topic of Modern Revolutions. In the interview, Dunn advanced the view that the 'Epoch of Revolution' had ended by 1989, and that what many scholars called revolutions today were simply instances of regime collapse. The interview received a lot of attention from scholars and practitioners including Hugo Slim. Slim challenged Dunn's concept of revolution in this issue, and Dunn responded defending his ideas. This article attempts to tease out the differences underlying the two scholars' disagreement as to whether the 'Epoch of Revolution' has truly passed. The article proposes that while processual approaches (such as Slim's) conceive of revolution primarily as a political means, Dunn's 'programmatic' approach to revolution conceives of it as not only a means, but a political end. The article also considers the implications of Dunn's theory of revolution, and the representative challenges of academic interviewing.
Contention, 2017
John Dunn, FBA, is emeritus professor of political theory at King's College, University of Cambri... more John Dunn, FBA, is emeritus professor of political theory at King's College, University of Cambridge. His work on revolution began in 1972 with the publication of his landmark volume, Modern Revolutions: An Introduction to the Analysis of a Political Phenomenon. A second edition was published in 1989, and the volume has since been translated into several foreign languages. Alongside revolution, Dunn's thought has examined questions of regime collapse, reconstruction, the political trajectories of modern states, and the emergence and significance of democracy. His work lies at the intersection of history, political theory, and sociology. In the interview, Dunn offers a categorization of revolution as a distinctly bounded historical phenomenon that has not persisted into the twenty-first century. "The Epoch of Revolution," he argues, begins with 1789 and had definitively ended by 1989. After the Epoch of Revolution, Dunn argues, we now confront a more enduring and generic phenomenon: regime collapse.
Papers by Benjamin Abrams
Democratic Theory
Two maladies that have been incipient in Liberal Democracy since its birth have finally struck at... more Two maladies that have been incipient in Liberal Democracy since its birth have finally struck at once. The “tyranny of the majority” and “administrative despotism”—first identified by Alexis de Tocqueville almost two centuries ago—have combined in the form of a new, much more threatening democratic mutation. We are witnessing the rise of “despotic majoritarianism,” in which citizens are simultaneously given less and less say in the political process, just as more and more is being done in their name. This new strain of democratic disease threatens not just the United States but societies across Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. This article explores the nature of despotic majoritarianism, its manifestation today, and how we might combat it.
Journal of Environmental Psychology
A large-scale field experiment tested psychological interventions to reduce engine idling at long... more A large-scale field experiment tested psychological interventions to reduce engine idling at long-wait stops. Messages based on theories of normative influence, outcome efficacy, and self-regulation were displayed approaching railway crossing on street poles. Observers coded whether drivers (N = 6,049) turned off their engine while waiting at the railway crossings (only 27.2% did so at baseline). Automatic air quality monitors recorded levels of pollutants during barrier down times. To different degrees, the social norm and outcome efficacy messages successfully increased the proportion of drivers who turned off their engines (by 42% and 25%, respectively) and significantly reduced concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) two meters above ground level. Thus, the environment was improved through behavior change. Moreover, of both theoretical and practical significance there was an 'accelerator effect', in line with theories of normative influence whereby the social norm message was increasingly effective as the volume of traffic increased.
London School of Economics and Political Science, Nov 21, 2019
What hope is there for societies undergoing democratic downgrades? democraticaudit.com/2019/11/21... more What hope is there for societies undergoing democratic downgrades? democraticaudit.com/2019/11/21/what-hope-is-there-for-societies-undergoing-democratic-downgrades/
Political Identification in Europe: Community in Crisis?, 2021
On 23 June 2016, 51.9% of those who voted in the UK referendum on membership of the European Unio... more On 23 June 2016, 51.9% of those who voted in the UK referendum on membership of the European Union (EU) opted to leave. The impact of this result upon both British and European politics has been profoundly disruptive and divisive. It not only marks a ‘seismic moment in post-war British politics’ (McGowan, 2018, p. 4) but has also disrupted expectations for the European project; no Member State had previously left the Union. Political institutions have been thrown into disarray, many citizens remain in a situation of existential uncertainty, and the political realm is cleaving. What has come to be known as ‘Brexit’ seemingly marks a crisis; a tear or a wrench in the very fabric of European politics, or perhaps a knot in which different socio-political tendencies have become entangled. In this chapter, the authors are interested not so much in diagnosing the factors that led to Brexit as they are the different interpretations that the ‘Brexit crisis’ is now being given. The authors map out five readings of ‘the Brexit crisis’ and contend that any attempt to grasp the meaning of Brexit demands drawing on all of them.
Contention, 2018
In Contention volume 5, issue 2, Benjamin Abrams interviewed the political theorist John Dunn on ... more In Contention volume 5, issue 2, Benjamin Abrams interviewed the political theorist John Dunn on the topic of modern revolutions. In the interview, Dunn advanced the view that the “Epoch of Revolution” had ended by 1989 and that what many scholars called revolutions today were simply instances of regime collapse. The interview received a lot of attention from scholars and practitioners including Hugo Slim. Slim challenged Dunn’s concept of revolution in this issue, and Dunn responded defending his ideas. This article attempts to tease out the differences underlying the two scholars’ disagreement as to whether the Epoch of Revolution has truly passed. The article proposes that while processual approaches (such as Slim’s) conceive of revolution primarily as a political means, Dunn’s “programmatic” approach to revolution conceives of it as not only a means but also a political end. The article also considers the implications of Dunn’s theory of revolution, and the representative challe...
Contention, 2017
John Dunn, FBA, is emeritus professor of political theory at King's College, University of Cambri... more John Dunn, FBA, is emeritus professor of political theory at King's College, University of Cambridge. His work on revolution began in 1972 with the publication of his landmark volume, Modern Revolutions: An Introduction to the Analysis of a Political Phenomenon. A second edition was published in 1989, and the volume has since been translated into several foreign languages. Alongside revolution, Dunn's thought has examined questions of regime collapse, reconstruction, the political trajectories of modern states, and the emergence and significance of democracy. His work lies at the intersection of history, political theory, and sociology. In the interview, Dunn offers a categorization of revolution as a distinctly bounded historical phenomenon that has not persisted into the twenty-first century. "The Epoch of Revolution," he argues, begins with 1789 and had definitively ended by 1989. After the Epoch of Revolution, Dunn argues, we now confront a more enduring and generic phenomenon: regime collapse.
Contention, 2019
If there is a single academic craft that is most sorely neglected in doctoral programs, most infr... more If there is a single academic craft that is most sorely neglected in doctoral programs, most infrequently honed over the course of one’s career, and most inconsistently exhibited at the top ranks of the academy, it is the practice of reviewing an article. Reflecting on conversations with editorial colleagues at Contention and other broad-scope journals, this essay draws together some brief guidelines on how best to compose the three most basic components of any academic review: criticism, praise, and recommendations to the editor.
Journal of Historical Sociology, 2019
Despite revolution's recent return to the world stage, the progress of revolutionary theory has m... more Despite revolution's recent return to the world stage, the progress of revolutionary theory has markedly stalled. While some have argued that recent work on the 2011 Arab Spring constitutes a new, misguided 'Fifth Generation' of theory, I show this claim to be misplaced, demonstrating the remarkable continuity between foundational fourth-generation scholarship and present-day analyses. Furthermore, I critically analyse the theoretical, methodological and professional obstacles which fourth-generation theory has encountered, concluding that scholars must move beyond the fourth generation if we are to surmount them. Finally, I consider the theoretical, methodological and ethical prospects of a true fifth generation of revolutionary theory. ***** It would be hard to call oneself a revolutionary theorist without acknowledging the importance of overturning old paradigms. It is in this regard that Jaime Allinson (2019) most certainly carried forward some revolutionary energy in his recent endeavour to prove that a fifth generation of revolutionary theory has come and passed ‡. In his article for the Journal of Historical Sociology, Allinson engages with three books which he claims belong to a new generation of theory: Asef Bayat's (2017) Revolution without Revolutionaries; Donatella Della Porta's (2016) Where did the Revolution Go?; and Daniel Ritter's (2015) The Iron Cage of Liberalism. He uses these books as core evidentiary markers for his proposed new generation, and deploys a series of insightful critiques to build a case for rejecting it altogether.
Journal of Historical Sociology, 2021
Revolutionary theorists are currently immersed in a critical debate about the future of the field... more Revolutionary theorists are currently immersed in a critical debate about the future of the field. Allinson has argued that a fifth generation of revolutionary theory has passed us by without our noticing, while I have contended that it is revolutionary theory's fourth generation that is decidedly imperilled. Ritter and Beck -for their part-contend that we should reject the very idea of theoretical 'generations', and instead think of progress in revolutionary theory as a series of ongoing and settled debates about certain key topics. The pair contend that revolutionary theory has reached a consensus on two core debates: defining our object of study and determining appropriate methods. Contrary to this position, I argue that while there is much to praise about rejecting generational imagery, doing so necessarily entails that we also critique the self-proclaimed 'fourth generation' with which such imagery is intertwined. Furthermore, I argue that there does not yet exist consensus among revolutionary theorists about a single definition of revolution, or on the question of which methods to use. Finally, I call for a regeneration of revolutionary theory which moves genuinely beyond the generational mythologies of the past.
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Articles by Benjamin Abrams
Papers by Benjamin Abrams