Contentious Politics and its Repercussions in Asia ;The Sharp End of Contentious Politics in China.

Contentious politics is the use of disruptive techniques to make a political point or to change government policy. Examples of such techniques are actions that disturb the normal activities of society such as demonstrations, general strike action, riot, terrorism, civil disobedience, and even revolution or insurrection. Social movements often engage in contentious politics. Historical sociologist Charles Tilly defines contentious politics as "interactions in which actors make claims bearing on someone else's interest, in which governments appear either as targets, initiators of claims, or third parties"(Tilly 2001). Until its development, the study of contentious politics was divided among several traditions each of which were concerned with the description and explanation of different contentious political phenomena, especially the social movement, the strike, and revolution.