Leader-Member Conflict in Protest Organizations: The Case of the Southern Farmers' Alliance

Abstract

We examine the conflict between leaders and members in protest organizations and challenge Robert Michels' argument that both oligarchy and goal displacement are inevitable in such settings. An examination of protest organizations shows there is often conflict between the interests of membership, the needs of leadership and the requirements for organizational permanence. Our study of the Southern Farmers' Alliance shows that the leadership's pursuit of its own interests contributed to both the rejection of a potentially successful reform program and the demise of the organization itself.