"Ekiert and Kubik offer description of protest movements in Poland after the fall of communism as a basis for developing and testing their ideas. They highlight the organized and moderate character of the protests and argue that the protests were not intended to reverse the change of 1989 but to protest specific policies of the government.

The authors conclude that in transitional polities where conventional political institutions such as parties or interest groups are underdeveloped, organized collective protest becomes a legitimate and moderately effective strategy for conducting state-society dialogue." "Rebellious Civil Society is a contribution to the literature on democratic consolidation, on the institutionalization of state-society relationship, and on protest and social movements."--BOOK JACKET.