▁section , ▁and ▁he ▁has ▁received ▁fund ing ▁from ▁the ▁Russell ▁S age ▁Foundation ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Science ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁Political ▁Med iation ▁Theory ▁ ▁Before ▁A ment a , ▁most ▁work ▁on ▁movement ▁impact s ▁focused ▁either ▁on ▁the ▁internal ▁characteristics ▁of ▁movements ▁( m emb ership , ▁resources , ▁organization , ▁tact ics ) ▁or ▁their ▁external ▁environments ▁( op enn ess ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁system , ▁el ite ▁align ments ▁and ▁al li ances , ▁and ▁state ▁repr ess ive ▁capac ities ). ▁In ▁his ▁books ▁B old ▁Rel ief ▁and ▁When ▁Mov ements ▁M atter ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁string ▁of ▁articles , ▁A ment a ’ s ▁political ▁med iation ▁model ▁pro ff ers ▁theory ▁regarding ▁interactions ▁between ▁the ▁internal ▁characteristics ▁of ▁movements ▁and ▁their ▁external ▁environments . ▁A ment a ▁arg ues ▁that ▁particular ▁movement ▁tact ics ▁work ▁better ▁in ▁some ▁context s ▁than ▁in ▁others , ▁and ▁his ▁empir ical ▁work ▁shows ▁interactions ▁between ▁the ▁assert iveness ▁of ▁movement ▁tact ics ▁and ▁short - term ▁political ▁context s . ▁Specifically , ▁when ▁elected ▁officials ▁and ▁state ▁b ureau cr ats ▁are ▁favor ably ▁dis posed ▁towards ▁a ▁movement , ▁minim ally - assert ive ▁tact ics ▁will ▁suff ice ; ▁but ▁when ▁elected ▁officials ▁and ▁state ▁b ureau cr ats ▁are ▁host ile ▁towards ▁a ▁movement , ▁assert ive ▁tact ics ▁are ▁necessary . ▁In ▁addition , ▁if ▁elected ▁officials ▁are ▁favor able ▁but ▁state ▁b ureau cr ats ▁are ▁host ile , ▁or ▁vice ▁vers