Communication, Censorship, and Coordination

Abstract

We study a coordination game of incomplete information in which only a coordinated attack would succeed in toppling a regime. Without communication, efficient coordination is impossible in this environment. We study how communication between citizens can facilitate efficient coordination. We model communication that is frequent, non-binding, and may be censored (detected and punished) by the regime. Our main result is that communication with censorship is sufficient for almost efficient coordination, and perhaps surprisingly, it is also necessary.