Carol Mueller

Unobtrusive Practices of Contention in Leninist Regimes

This article broadens understanding of the mobilization-repression relationship by drawing on materials from eastern European Leninist regimes. It identifies “unobtrusive practices of contention” as an important yet understudied and undertheorized element of political contention in repressive regimes. Three general forms of unobtrusive practices are identified. First, oppositional speech situations are settings in which participants use tacitly understood rules about what can and cannot be said to criticize the regime and “tell the truth.” Second, duplicitous groups and organizations are officially recognized associations where oppositional speech tends to cluster. This allows for denser and more continuous interaction that imparts to them a mildly oppositional milieu. Third, dissident circles are the most contentious and least unobtrusive form of opposition. They blur the public-private distinction by emphasizing innovative public tactics such as samizdat press and access to foreign media. All three forms are precursors to public protest and the appearance of movement organizations during white-hot mobilization phases.

Binational Human Rights: The U.S.-Mexico Experience

When businessman and real estate mogul Donald Trump envisioned making “America great again” he thought politics. So, on 16 June 2015, he launched his bid to become the Republican Party nominee for the presidency of the United States of America by boldly declaring he would build a wall across America’s southwestern border at Mexico’s expense.1 The proposal dismayed critics and attracted backers. Early in the campaign, an August 2015 CNN/ORC International Poll identified that, from a total of 466 surveyed Republican voters, forty-four percent identified Trump far and away as the candidate who they believed could best handle illegal immigration.2 Similarly, a Pew Research survey of 496 registered GOP voters noted thirty-four percent supported Trump as a candidate keen on deporting all illegal immigrants residing in the United States (U.S.).3 Midway into the race, several surveys and Republican presidential state primary and caucus victories foreshadowed Trump’s rise atop the party.4 Ultimately, Trump’s meteoric campaign defeated Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the 2016 presidential election by winning the Electoral College vote and the White House. President Trump’s plan for a secure America has life.