The Political Effects of Dissidents' Acquittals

• In Event: Dissent and Containment in Authoritarian Regimes

Brief Overview

This study examines the political effects of dissidents’ acquittals and finds that they bolster citizens’ perceptions of repression's legitimacy and the repressed's illegitimacy, while simultaneously increasing individuals’ likelihood of dissent.

Author

• Ruilin Lai, Washington University in St Louis