How
does communication technology affect social unrest? This paper examines the
impact of the expansion of the telegraph in China on two forms of dissent. We
distinguish organized form of revolts led by rebel groups from spontaneous
peasant revolts lacking coordination. Using a difference-in-difference
strategy, we find that telegraph-enabled communication increased organized
revolts by facilitating stronger coordination, while it reduced
weather-shock-triggered peasant revolts by enabling quicker state responses to
crises. The asymmetric effects indicate that advances in communication
technology enhance coordination for both civic groups and governments, enabling
more organized unrest while also allowing governments to better prevent
spontaneous unrest.