Sharp argues that all power is conditional on the cooperation of the governed. A dictatorship only stands as long as its Pillars of Support —institutions like the military, media, and civil service—remain loyal. Resistance aims to erode this support until the regime collapses. Strategic Categories of Action
: Symbolic acts like walkouts, public silence, and formal statements to signal opposition. From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Fr...
: Acknowledge that external aid or negotiations rarely work, as tyrants use them to stall or maintain power . Sharp argues that all power is conditional on
: Direct actions that disrupt the regime's functioning, such as sit-ins and the creation of alternative social institutions. Key Steps for Liberation Strategic Categories of Action : Symbolic acts like
: The most powerful tool, involving the withdrawal of social, economic, and political support through selective strikes, revenue refusal, and withdrawal of bank deposits .