- Question
Are protests effective?
Protests are used to further social change when democratic channels do not work for the aggrieved population. However, people disagree on their effectiveness in furthering social causes.
Position 1 of 2
Read this position →Yes, protests are effective
This position holds that protests do further the causes behind them, because a visible crowd forces a grievance onto the public agenda, shows participants and bystanders how many others agree, and raises the cost to those in power of carrying on unchanged.
Position 2 of 2
Read this position →No, protests are not effective
This position holds that protests rarely change anything, because a crowd expresses feeling without presenting a decision anyone is obliged to take, and because visible pressure often hardens the opposition it is meant to move.