ICES Experimental Economics Brown Bag Lecture
Why Do People Protest? A Theory of Emotions, Public Policy, and Political Unrest
Thursday, March 28, 2024 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
Vernon Smith Hall (formerly Metropolitan Building), Room 5075
The Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science (ICES) presents an ICES Brown Bag Lecture featuring:
George Mason University
Why Do People Protest? A Theory of Emotions, Public Policy, and Political Unrest
Abstract
We build a model of policymaking under the threat of unrest. A policymaker chooses how much effort to spend on a public good; effort is unobservable and the outcome is uncertain. A group of citizens protest if the outcome falls short of a reference point; the reference point is determined endogenously by rational expectations about the outcome and by the height of emotions. We show that emotions act as a bargaining tool; their effects are nonmonotonic and depend on the group’s ability to inflict damage. Equilibrium may require the policymaker to randomize between providing some effort or no effort at all, in order to temper citizens’ aspirations.
For more information about the Brown Bag Lectures, please visit the Brown Bag Schedule homepage.
