Editing Revolution (section)

== Definition ==
"Revolution" is now employed most often to denote a change in social and political institutions.<ref name="Goldstonet3">{{cite journal |last=Goldstone |first=Jack |author-link=Jack Goldstone |date=1980 |title=Theories of Revolutions: The Third Generation |journal=[[World Politics]] |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=425–453 |doi=10.2307/2010111 |jstor=2010111 |s2cid=154287826}}</ref><ref name="Forantorr">{{cite journal |last=Foran |first=John |author-link=John Foran (sociologist) |date=1993 |title=Theories of Revolution Revisited: Toward a Fourth Generation |journal=[[Sociological Theory (journal)|Sociological Theory]] |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=1–20 |doi=10.2307/201977 |jstor=201977}}</ref><ref name="Kroeber">{{cite journal |last=Kroeber |first=Clifton B. |date=1996 |title=Theory and History of Revolution |journal=[[Journal of World History]] |volume=7 |pages=21–40 |doi=10.1353/jwh.2005.0056 |s2cid=144148530 |number=1}}</ref> [[Jeff Goodwin]] offers two definitions. First, a broad one, including "any and all instances in which a state or a political regime is overthrown and thereby transformed by a popular movement in an irregular, extraconstitutional or violent fashion". Second, a narrow one, in which "revolutions entail not only [[mass mobilization]] and [[regime change]], but also more or less rapid and fundamental social, economic or cultural change, during or soon after the struggle for state power".{{sfn|Goodwin|2001|p=9}}

Jack Goldstone defines a revolution thusly:
<blockquote>"[Revolution is] an effort to transform the political institutions and the justifications for political authority in society, accompanied by formal or informal mass mobilization and noninstitutionalized actions that undermine authorities. This definition is broad enough to encompass events ranging from the [[Revolutions of 1989|relatively peaceful revolutions that toppled communist regimes]] to the [[War in Afghanistan (1978–present)|violent Islamic revolution in Afghanistan]]. At the same time, this definition is strong enough to exclude coups, revolts, civil wars, and rebellions that make no effort to transform institutions or the justification for authority."<ref name="Goldstonet4" /></blockquote> Goldstone's definition excludes peaceful transitions to [[democracy]] through [[plebiscite]] or [[Election#Difficulties with elections|free elections]], as occurred in [[Spain]] after the death of [[Francisco Franco]], or in [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]] after the demise of their [[military junta]]s.<ref name="Goldstonet4" /> Early scholars often debated the distinction between revolution and civil war.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Billington |first=James H. |date=1966 |title=Six Views of the Russian Revolution |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/world-politics/article/abs/six-views-of-the-russian-revolution/F41844384239517497C9A8AC94A70E4C |journal=World Politics |language=en |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=452–473 |doi=10.2307/2009765 |jstor=2009765 |s2cid=154688891 |issn=1086-3338|url-access=subscription }}</ref> They also questioned whether a revolution is purely political (i.e., concerned with the restructuring of government) or whether "it is an extensive and inclusive social change affecting all the various aspects of the life of a society, including the economic, religious, industrial, and familial as well as the political".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yoder |first=Dale |date=1926 |title=Current Definitions of Revolution |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2765544 |journal=American Journal of Sociology |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=433–441 |doi=10.1086/214128 |jstor=2765544 |issn=0002-9602|url-access=subscription }}</ref>