Information Cascades and Revolutions
http://voxeu.org/article/riots-and-revolutions-digital-age
An information cascade occurs when people make decisions based on the decisions of others, rather than use their own observations. In their article, Chris Ellis and John Fender analyze the effect these cascades have on riots and revolutions. They note that workers choose to rebels through observing other workers’ behavior. Each worker has their own tipping point that needs to be satisfied in order for them to rebel – for some it may be only one other worker, whereas other may need the rest of the company to rebel before they would.
One of the most critical components needed for an information cascade to be successful is information flow. Rulers, often consistent with autocratic regimes, seek to prevent dissemination of information as it is conducive to people banding together. This can clearly be seen in George Orwell’s 1984 where everything is closely monitored. Moreover, the government controls, and alters, all news outlets, thereby directly controlling what little information is actually received by the majority.