CPO-2002 Lecture 34: Lecture 34
Document Summary
Start with an individual who must choose whether to publicly support or oppose the dictatorship. The individual has a private ad public reference. His private reference is his true attitude towards the dictatorship. His public preference is the attitude towards the dictatorship that he reveals to the world. It can be dangerous to reveal your opposition to a dictatorship. As a result, individuals who oppose dictatorial rule often falsify their preferences in public. Kuran (1991) (cid:449)rites that people i(cid:374) east ger(cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:862)routi(cid:374)el(cid:455) applauded speakers (cid:449)hose message they disliked, joined organizations whose mission that they opposed, and signed defa(cid:373)ator(cid:455) letters agai(cid:374)st people the(cid:455) ad(cid:373)ired. (cid:863) Preference falsification provides another reason why protests were so rare in eastern europe. Although many people engage in preference falsification, there is probably a protest size at which they would be willing to publicly reveal their true preferences. They might not wish to join a protest of 100 people, but may be willing to join 100,000.
