Exam 2 Flashcards
What is the intrinsic/economic utility of expressing a private preference in public?
Impact of expressing private preferences on public outcome: policy rewards of vote. Probably always positive, negligible in large groups, highest in small groups
What is the expressive/psychological utility of expressing private preferences in public?
Need for individuality, autonomy, dignity, integrity. Probably always positive, but weight depends on personality type
What is the expressive utility for a conformist personality type?
Happy to go along with the group, doesn’t need to contradict. A little positive utility for the expressive utility. The greater the degree of preference falsification, the larger loss of expressive utility.
What is the expressive utility for a non-conformist personality type?
It really hurts to hold belief inside. Get more positive utility for the expressive utility
What are the types of reputational/social utility?
Social punishments/rewards and/or material punishment/rewards
What is reputational/social utility?
Can be positive or negative, but we are more interested in negative values. Manipulable, especially by the state
When does Kuran say you don’t simplify your preference?
Intrinsic utility + expressive utility + reputational utility > 0. For our purposes, we can chop out intrinsic utility, since it is so negligibly low. So, you don’t falsify preferences when expressive utility > reputational utility
How is there a variance across regime types in preference falsification?
Reputational costs are higher in closed/authoritarian politics, so preference falsification is lower in open/democratic politics. Yet, no democracy can guarantee the exercise of expressive freedoms
Do all regimes care about public opinion?
Yes, even if it is based on preference falsification. If everyone you see seems to support the regime (even if just preference falsification), no one will be brave enough to say down with the regime. The one millionth person to say down with the regime is much less likely to be punished than the first person. So, no one wants to put themself on the line and be the first one if they don’t know the public opinion
What is the problem of preference falsification for individuals?
You want to express your opinions publicly (expressive utility) but you don’t know others’ true opinions (reputational costs)- you don’t know how the regime will respond, but how much is preference falsification. Your reputational costs depend partly on the distribution of public opinion
What are the tradeoffs for a person when deciding whether or not to preference falsifying?
Preference falsification ensures the loss of expressive utility, but not falsifying preferences risks reputational costs
What is the solution to preference falsification for individuals?
Each person decides whether to falsify preferences, some suffer reputational costs, which others observe, everyone updates their beliefs about public opinion and may change their behavior accordingly
What is pluralistic ignorance?
People are bad at evaluating true public opinion, due to underestimating preference falsification. They assume most people are expressing their true views. The regime also suffers from this, overestimating their amount of supprt
What is a bandwagon?
Happens when perception of true public opinion shifts, perhaps resulting in new equilibrium. Realize the costs aren’t as high, less people will preference falsify, and bandwagon. This is when the regime loses control
What is heuristic knowledge?
Decision making shortcuts, rule of thumb
What is hard knowledge?
Knowledge grounded in substantive facts and systematic reasoning
What is soft knowledge?
Knowledge based on others opinions. On the assumption that others have reasons for taking the positions they do, we will internalize whatever opinion seems dominant. Relies on the heuristics of social proof
What strengthens soft knowledge?
Rational ignorance, numbers, repetition (due to the availability heuristics), deliberate distortions of public speakers, and censorship
What is the “illusion of individual autonomy”?
The flimsiest suggestion as to the merits of a political opinion may serve as grounds for embracing it with confidence. Should the need arise for justifying a borrowed opinion we will do so easily. Our justification often comes from slogans, generalization, and assertions offered by the mass media
What is belief perseverance?
Tendency to interpret new information according to existing beliefs
How do people deal with inconsistencies with belief perseverance?
Bifurcating incoming information. Ideological side: abstract worldview. Pragmatic side: how to get by in daily life.
What is the difference of belief perseverance change under different types of knowledge?
Our beliefs about complex and abstract systems rarely change, because they cannot be falsified with hard knowledge (especially economics and politics). But beliefs based on social proof can radically change under certain circumstances (if social proof changes rapidly, your opinion can change rapidly as well).
How do preference falsification change INTRAgenerationally?
High reputational costs induce preference falsification. Widespread preference falsification leads to the rise of public consensus.
How does preference falsification change INTERgenerationally?
Public consensus exists, so costs of status quo and benefits of alternatives aren’t discussed, and facts are denied. In the absence of debate and facts, private positions move closer to public consensus. Preference falsification declines. Older generations with private knowledge of alternatives dies out, leaving the younger generation without such knowledge, true believers
What are the costs of harsh repression?
Resources are allocated to surveillance and policing rather than productive investment; political purges cause loss of expertise throughout society; government lack feedback about policy failures and sources of popular discontent; poor decision making is left unchallenged at every level of government
What happened after the degree of repression declined in the Soviet Union in the 1960s?
There were complaints, but they avoided probing too deeply into the issues and remained devoted to communist objectives. Complaining about everyday problems, but many are still true believers
What was the bifurcation in Soviet society?
Broad dissatisfaction with the regime, but broad acceptance of communist ideals
Why was the pro-communist equilibrium fragile after the Soviet Union stopped repressing protests so heavily (Kuran)?
Broad private discontent might develop even as public discourse remains supportive of the status quo. They rely on social proof, soft knowledge in interpretation. Should public discourse shift, interpretation may change rapidly
What is bandwagoning?
A rapid shift to a new equilibrium in public opinion
What was the chain of events that led to the fall of communism?
Protest arise in East Germany -> regime decides not to oppress -> protests consequently expand -> costs of repression increase -> regime elites begin to defect -> repression becomes impossible
Who initiates protests in communist regimes?
Anticommunist nonconformists (a minority at this point)
What happens at the protests at first if there is no repression?
Since there is low reputational costs to joining the protests, anticommunist conformists join the protest
What happens as protests grow larger?
They provide social proof that communism is bad. Ambivalent people become anticommunists and join the protests
What happens after ambivalent people join protests?
Procommunist conformists anticipate regime collapse and fear retribution (high reputation cost). They falsify preferences as anticommunists and join the protests
What happens after procommunist conformists join the protests?
Only procommunist nonconformists support the regime, everyone else is protesting. Consequently, the regime collapses
What happens after the regime collapses and is replaced by a revolutionary regime?
Fearing retribution, procommunist conformists falsify their preferences
What happens if the revolutionary regime does not repress?
Procommunists will stop falsifying their preferences and publicly support a counterrevolution. The revolutionary regime doesn’t know if there are enough procommunists to cause a counterrevolution, because it can’t know the extent of preference falsification
What happens because the new revolutionary regime doesn’t know the extent of preference falsification?
The regime must root out the procommunists with repression
Why does Kuran think that people can’t predict the collapse of regimes?
Because of widespread preference falsification, and because the determinants of public preferences could not be identified, no one could tell where events were headed. But couldn’t you just predict that when they stop oppressing the regime is likely to be overthrown?
What happened in 2011 that started the Arab Spring?
In Tunisia, a street vendor sets himself on fire, protesting harassment and confiscation by police. Mass protests ensue
What happens in Egypt after the Tunisian Revolution?
Media reports of Tunisia inspire mass protests in Egypt. The leader is arrested, and the transition to democracy begins
What is the problem of authoritarian control (Svolik)?
Dictators vs masses
What is the problem of authoritarian power sharing (Svolik)?
Dictators vs allies
How is an authoritarian regime like anarchy?
No independent authority has the power to enforce agreements among key political actors
How is there a threat of war under an authoritarian regime?
The threat of violence is ever present and the ultimate arbiter of political conflicts
How us the problem of authoritarian power sharing like a security dilemma?
Members of the ruling coalition worry that the dictator could acquire more power and later eliminate them
What is the implication of authoritarian regime being like IR?
The ultimate source of peace/nonviolence and stability is the balance of power
Is there a need for allies in a low dictatorship power vis a vis allies?
Yes
Is there credible power sharing in a dictatorship with low power vis a vis allies?
With and without institutions
Is there a need for allies in a dictatorship with medium power vis a vis allies?
Yes
Is there credible power sharing in a dictatorship with medium power vis a vis allies?
Only with institutions
Is there a need for allies in a dictatorship with large power vis a vis allies?
Yes
Is there credible power sharing in a dictatorship with large power vis a vis allies?
Not feasible
Is there a need for allies in a dictatorship with very large power vis a vis allies?
No
Is there credible power sharing in a dictatorship with very large power vis a vis allies?
Neither feasible nor necessary
What is a contested autocracy?
A low dictator power vis a vis allies. Rebellion threat is highly credible. Dictator not greedy, allies not harmful. Thus: stable
What is it like in medium and large dictator power vis a vis allies?
Rebellion threat is decreasingly credible. Dictator may or may not be greedy, allies fearful. Thus: unstable
What is an established autocracy?
A very large dictator power vis a vis allies. Rebellion threat not very credible. Dictator is greedy and all-powerful, allies’ fear irrelevant. Thus: stable
What are the two kinds of uncertainty allies have?
Uncertain about dictators’ intentions/actions: greedy or not. Uncertain about success of rebellion
What is the uncertainty about success of rebellion?
Depends on number of participants, unknown in advance. Collective action problem: free riding. Will you/others share in the effort?
What is the highest risk to individuals during a rebellion?
Participating in a rebellion
What is the upside to participating in rebellion?
Rapid advancement if rebellion succeeds
What is the downside to participating in rebellion?
Torture and execution (including family) if rebellion fails