revolutionary movement (or revolutionary social movement) is a specific type of social movement dedicated to carrying out a revolution. Charles Tilly defines it as "a social movement advancing exclusive competing claims to control of the state, or some segment of it".[1] Jeff Goodwin and James M. Jasper define it more simply (and consistently with other works[2][need quotation to verify]) as "a social movement that seeks, as minimum, to overthrow the government or state".[3]
A social movement may want to make various reforms and to gain some control of the state, but as long as they do not aim for an exclusive control, its members are not revolutionary.[4] Social movements may become more radical and revolutionary, or vice versa - revolutionary movements can scale down their demands and agree to share powers with others, becoming a run-of-the-mill political party.[4]
