This article provides a theoretical account of the sudden rise and equally sudden demise of 1960s youth protest in many parts of the world. Quantitative data from a small sample of countries (N = 17) are used to illustrate the utility of the explanation through examination of its predictions. The theory focuses on two generally neglected issues: First, what are sources of normative commitments to collective action? Second, why were youth protests political in nature and frequently directed against the state? My account focuses on the diffusion of statism as a normative system throughout the world system and its influence on the dynamics of political conflict within nations. I measure two features of this system: (a) statist ideology and (b) political incorporation of national educational systems. The theory predicts how the diffusion of each of these dimensions will influence the level of noninstitutionalized youth protest within nations.
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