Broadband Internet and Protests: Evidence from the Occupy Movement
41 Pages Posted: 15 Apr 2016 Last revised: 28 Feb 2018
Date Written: January 9, 2018
Abstract
This paper investigates the influence of broadband Internet availability in the occurrence of events of civil unrest, using collected data on the locations of protesting activities related with 2011's Occupy Movement in the U.S. We consider the hypothesis that the Internet sets an environment for communication and information exchange that boosts collective dissatisfaction towards unfair policies. Linear estimates suggest that each new Internet Service Provider (which is associated to an increase in broadband penetration of about 0.5 p.p.) accounts for an increase between 1 and 3 p.p. in the probability of observing protests in a given location. Results are consistent when analyzing county-level data for the contiguous U.S., for each different U.S. region separately (Northeast, Midwest, South and West), and when analyzing city-level data for California.
Keywords: Internet, Civic Engagement, Protests, Occupy Movement
JEL Classification: C26, D74, L86
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation