Brayden King: History is on the Occupiers’ Side

King is an assistant professor at the Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

The Occupy Wall Street protests began like many movements — a small group of committed activists decided to stage a rally and express their frustrations with the political system. 

At first sight, most politicians would have ignored the Occupiers as just another demonstration led by a few dozen college students. But unlike most protests, the Occupy movement has grown massively in a short period of time, spilling over into dozens of U.S. cities, drawing support from activists of all ages, and capturing the nation’s attention.

The movement’s momentum continues to grow. Suddenly, the movement demands to be taken seriously. The Occupiers have infused the liberal grassroots sphere with vibrancy in the same way that the Tea Party rejuvenated conservative activists in 2009. But will the Occupy movement transform liberal politics? Will they shape Democrats’ policy agenda as the Tea Partyers influenced the Republicans?

The time is ripe for the Occupy movement to have an impact on political and social reform. Scholars have identified a number of factors associated with the transformative potential of social movements, all of which seem to be on the side of the Occupiers....