What impact does civil society have on political change? In political science, we often associate a dynamic and thriving civil society with democracy. Democratic politics provide a set of rules that best protect spaces that are autonomous from the state. Where civil society is strong and vibrant, it stabilizes and expands democratic life. Yet, it is not entirely clear whether it can contribute to the demise of authoritarian rule and the emergence of a new democracy. Authoritarian regimes usually allow very restricted spaces that are autonomous from the state, so it is unlikely that civil society can grow significantly under such constraints. There is however a degree of variance among authoritarian regimes and the degree to which they exert vast control over society. Occasionally, therefore, civil society can organize, and even mobilize to build some opposition to the state