A great deal of work on contentious politics during the past two decades has focused on the role of political opportunity structures for the emergencg forms, and, less ofterL outcomes of social movements. The early work of charles Tilly clearly played a major role in initiating this strand of research. In particular through the first systematic statemént jnFrom Mobili zation to Reaolution (1978), the concept of political opportunities has paved the way to a "silent revolution" in the study of

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... pular contention and social protest. From a matter of grievances and discontent, it became a matter of power struggle and political process.