The impact of institutional decentralization on protest in Western Europe

There are many explanations for variation in political protest. However, they have not focused sufficiently on institutions and the influence the latter exert on protest. This article, by using multilevel analysis and cross-national survey data, suggests that political protest depends on the level of institutional decentralization. In fact, decentralization increases the number of state actors, implies a multiplication of access points to the political system, and provides greater chances of influencing the decision-making process. Furthermore, it is shown that the effect of mobilizing agencies, such as political parties and trade unions, also depends on the level of decentralization.