Abstract
Occupy may have begun as a response to an economic crisis, but this came to be seen simultaneously as a crisis of democracy. Occupy sought to challenge the financial elite’s capture of political power. While there was widespread agreement as to the nature of the problem faced, the question of “what is to be done” proved vexing. Arguments between reformist and “revolutionary” tendencies within Occupy echoed those of the nineteenth century, although this time the anarchist emphasis on spontaneity, horizontal organisation and total disengagement from the state proved hegemonic. The consensus-based decision model used by the movement favoured those who pursued a radical line. This came at the cost of the movement’s capacity to build an enduring popular base.
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Taylor, D. (2017). Occupy, Democracy, and Enduring Change. In: Social Movements and Democracy in the 21st Century . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39684-2_6
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