: The most powerful tool, involving the withdrawal of social, economic, and political support through selective strikes, revenue refusal, and withdrawal of bank deposits .
: Systematically withdraw cooperation until the regime’s administrative and coercive tools no longer function. From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Fr...
The framework identifies 198 methods of nonviolent struggle, categorized into three levels of engagement: : The most powerful tool, involving the withdrawal
: Use nonviolent weapons to selectively target the regime's pillars while maintaining strict nonviolent discipline to avoid alienating potential allies. : Direct actions that disrupt the regime's functioning,
: Direct actions that disrupt the regime's functioning, such as sit-ins and the creation of alternative social institutions. Key Steps for Liberation
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
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