The fact that legislators are more likely to represent protests, particularly protests done by disadvantaged groups, demonstrates the agency of low-resource groups. Is requiring such demanding and inegalitarian participation sustainable? Does the fact legislators’ unequal representation favors disadvantaged groups, perhaps only, after protest mean that the United States is a functioning democratic republic? Does legislators’ support of costlier protest improve democratic representation, or does it only provide symbolic representation?

The concluding chapter engages events like the Boston Massacre and Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, Missouri, to answer these questions. The chapter also discusses Representative William Clay Jr.’s attempts to represent the BLM protesters in his district and activist Cory Bush’s eventually successful challenge for Clay’s seat. Finally, it evaluates collective action’s influence on policing legislation.

These examples illuminate protesters’ resource disparities and social movements’ influence. They highlight the time horizon of protest influence on legislative behavior, and they help assess legislators’ motivations to respond to protest demands.