Seven traits of a successful boycott
Arizona could be in trouble if activists follow these tips.
Arizona faces a boycott over its new immigration law but, if history is an indicator, there may be little for the state to worry about.
Few boycotts succeed, even though the tactic has part of the fabric of American activism since before the Boston Tea Party. They work by hurting the income that companies and states generate, but that's not easy to do.
"It is so hard to affect the bottom line of a company," said Lawrence B. Glickman, author of "Buying Power: A History of Consumer Activism in America." It's especially hard to hit the bottom line of a state, which has numerous sources of income.
Boycotts can even backfire, hurting the very population that they aim to protect. Many of Arizona’s Latino community work in the very sectors that immigrant rights groups are targeting.
