deathmtn

Binding can involve persuading one’s colleagues (or fellow congregationists or union members) behind closed doors to withdraw their support from leaders who abuse their constitutional power. For example, Ohio National Guard members recently have been communicating with each other through encrypted group chats, discussing their concerns about — and even unwillingness to participate in — politicized deployments. Binding tends to be less visible than breaking, but it is no less important. These tactics complement each other well: Insiders can quietly organize colleagues, gather information on the government’s abuses, and strategize about incentives and potential wedges within specific pillars. Meanwhile, outsiders can draw public attention and escalate pressure.

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Dialogue and engagement with specific elements of pillars can increase the likelihood of defections. This was a key strategy of the Otpor movement in Serbia, which actively fraternized with state security forces as part of a broad-based movement to remove autocrat Slobodan Milosevic from power.