Faction in Movement: The Impact of Inclusivity on the Anti‐Globalization Movement*

Abstract

Objectives. This research examines and evaluates the reasons why the anti‐globalization movement has yet to make significant progress in achieving its primary goals of democratizing international trade negotiation processes.Methods. Data on anti‐globalization protest cycles were collected from news sources for a time period of up to one month that encapsulated the protest events. From these, I constructed brief case narratives of the major events in Seattle, Washington, DC, Prague, Quebec City, Genoa, and Doha to illustrate my argument.Results. I find that the democratic master frame employed by the movement results in two important limitations: (1) the movement cannot exclude participants without undermining its legitimacy, and (2) its lack of a centralized organizational framework makes it impossible to police the actions of participants during major protests. Recognizing these limitations, states hosting global economic summits have demonstrated increasingly a willingness to utilize repressive measures against the movement thereby undermining the movement's ability to achieve its goals.Conclusion. I conclude that the inability of the anti‐globalization movement to exclude violent participants will continue to limit its effectiveness given states' increasing willingness to employ repressive tactics indiscriminately.