Article: Spillover or Spillout? The Global Justice Movement in the United States After 9/11. Mobilization, December 2007
Summary: Global Justice activism declined in the U.S. after 9/11 not because activism was down but because: 1. there was a more repressive atmosphere in the U.S.; 2. a politically inspired linkage between global terrorism and transnational activism of all kinds; and 3. social movement spillout.
Spillout is defined as “the hollowing-out of a social movement when its activists shift their activities to a cognate, but differently structured, movement.” 360.
The authors argue “the shift of activism from global justice to the antiwar movement, which we term ‘social movement spillout,’ is the most important reason for the decline of the former movement.” 371 In fact, “many of the groups who participated in global justice protests eventually reappeared in peace demonstrations, and many others turned their attention into electoral politics.” 371
The idea of spillout is a positive theoretical contribution mapping the shifts of activist energy between movements.