Michael T Heaney

Michael T. Heaney

Lecturer, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow
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About Michael

Heaney researches the interaction of political parties, social movements, interest groups, and social networks from an interdisciplinary perspective.  His research has examined the politics of health and welfare lobbying, the grassroots politics of the antiwar movement after 9/11, and social networks among activists in the Democratic and Republican parties.  His current agenda focuses on organizational and grassroots mobilization in the aftermath of the 2016 election, including the resurgence of women's activism, as well as other emerging protests on the right and left of the political spectrum. 

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

How to Transcend Partisanship and Create Effective Movements for Change in the Trump Era

Basic Facts Brief,

In the News

Michael T. Heaney quoted on a method for studying street protests that offers a systematic look at who the protesters are by Amy Harmon and Sabrina Tavernise, "One Big Difference About George Floyd Protests: Many White Faces," The New York Times, June 17, 2020.
Michael T. Heaney quoted on not seeing gender division and seeing the Scottish independence movement intensify even more by Kirsteen Paterson, "More Women Back Yes Movement Because of Nicola Sturgeon, Academic Finds," The National, November 25, 2019.
"How Does Changing Control of Congress Affect the Fortunes of Lobbying Firms?," Michael T. Heaney (with Alexander C. Furnas), Mischiefs of Factions, October 3, 2019.
Interview on the National Park Service's proposed regulations on demonstrations in Washington, DC, Michael T. Heaney, The Show 91.5 KJZZ, October 23, 2018.
Michael T. Heaney quoted on social science statistics by Jeffrey Mervis, "Got Data? Survey of 2017 March for Science Doesn’t Make the Grade," Science Magazine, April 9, 2018.
Michael T. Heaney quoted by Paul Blumenthal, "The Largest Protest Ever Was 15 Years Ago. The Iraq War Isn’t Over. What Happened?" Huffpost , February 15, 2018.
Michael T. Heaney quoted , "How Protests Can Affect Elections," The Economist, January 26, 2018.
Michael T. Heaney quoted by Sean Rossman, "It's Taken a Year for Inauguration Protesters to Get Answers, Dozens Still Face Charges," USA Today, January 18, 2018.
"Transcending Partisanship in the Age of Trump," Michael T. Heaney, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, March 13, 2017.
"Bernie Sanders and the Occupy Wall Street Wing of the Democratic Party," Michael T. Heaney, Mobilizing Ideas, September 29, 2016.
"Here’s What was Surprising about the Protesters at the Democratic Convention this Week," Michael T. Heaney, Washington Post, July 30, 2016.
"Why are the Protests at the Republican Convention so Small?," Michael T. Heaney, Washington Post, July 21, 2016.
"Democrats and Republicans are as Divided about Gender Discrimination as They are about Everything Else," Michael T. Heaney (with Elizabeth A. Sharrow), Vox, July 18, 2016.
"How Can Social Movements Win in an Era of Strong Political Parties?," Michael T. Heaney, Popular Resistance, February 15, 2015.

Publications

"Protest at the Center of American Politics," Journal of International Affairs 73, no. 2 (2020).

Considers why protest has become so central to American politics. Argues that three factors contribute substantially to this situation: institutional illegitimacy, political polarization, and decentralization of communications media.