Selective or generic activism? Types of participants, political action repertoires and mobilisation capacity in a post-communist society

Abstract

This study develops and tests two arguments for how repertoires of political action are reconfigured in postcommunist Romania. Using multivariate statistical analysis, it examines whether citizens’ engagement in post-communist politics is linked with generic socioeconomic and attitudinal traits or, alternatively, if it is connected with selective mobilisation opportunities provided by social networks and organisations. The findings reveal that while most Romanians are politically inactive two decades after the fall of communism, those who engage in politics do so selectively and their political action repertoires are largely influenced by four mobilising agents: trade unions, political parties, social networks, and civil society organisations.