Decision Calculus of Protesters and Regimes: Eastern Europe 1989

In our analysis of mass protest in the nonreformist part of Eastern Europe 1989 we ask not only why people rebel, but how they rebel against highly repressive regimes. We show how the decisions of individual protesters concerning participation in protest activity are influenced by a set of assurance games that involve their own and other social groups. We also show how regime actors go through the reverse process of a "deassurance game" as their instruments of coercion are undermined.