Collective Action and the Civil Rights Movement: Chong, McAdam, Granovetter and Putnam Dialogue

Chong, McAdam, Granovetter and Putnam bump into each other in a bar. Putnam starts the conversation by asking the infamous academic question: “Dennis, I just saw your book, Collective Action and the Civil Rights Movement. What’s your argument?” Chong answers the question, which results in a lively discussion among the three about the factors underlying the success of the U.S. civil rights movement. What would that discussion look like? You happen to be sitting at the next table, eavesdropping. At some point, you can’t resist joining the discussion, mainly because you have a desire to share your views on how effectively each has argued his position.