Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2025
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Source Publication
PS: Political Science & Politics
Source ISSN
1049-0965
Original Item ID
DOI: 10.1017/S1049096525000216
Abstract
When faced with unfolding protests, autocrats frequently respond with anti-protest propaganda loaded with negative narratives about protesters. Although a substantial body of literature has suggested that anti-protest propaganda can effectively alter the way the public views protests, few researchers have examined the mechanism through which propaganda negatively affects public support for protests. In this article, the authors explain the role that anti-protest propaganda plays in weakening public support for protests. Using an innovative experiment involving mediation analysis, the authors administered a survey to 950 Vietnamese respondents. The experimental results showed that anti-protest propaganda may deter support for protests more by influencing the audience's beliefs about the intention and capacity of the government than by shaping perceptions of the protesters' legitimacy. This evidence suggests that even when it fails at discrediting protesters, anti-protest propaganda still serves as an effective warning, credibly signaling the commitment and ability of the government to punish protesters and their supporters.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Truong, Mai T., "Integrating Digital and On-Site Fieldwork: Practical Solutions for Scholars with Limited On-Site Access" (2025). Political Science Faculty Research and Publications. 156.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/polisci_fac/156
Comments
Published version. PS: Political Science & Politics, Vol. 77, No. 2 (April 2025): 338-381. DOI. © Cambridge University Press. Used with permission.
Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Political Science Association. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.