The Checklist to End Tyranny - How Dissidents Will Win 21st Century Civil Resistance Campaigns

Oct 22, 2026

The Checklist to End Tyranny presents how dissidents can dismantle tyranny through civil resistance campaigns rather than relying on violence. It explains why oppressive regimes endure when citizens misunderstand power and how nonviolent disruption—such as strikes, boycotts, and mass protests—can erode a ruler’s support. The book outlines an evolving role for civil resistance, addresses how to overcome fear and confusion, and provides a structured checklist exercise to build capabilities, navigate conflict, and increase confidence for democratic change.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages151

Reading Time6 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Evolving Role of Civil Resistance in the Battle Against Tyranny

Overcoming Fear and Confusion

Five Ideas Dissidents Must Know

How Dissidents Build Capabilities

How Dissidents Navigate Conflict

How Dissidents Increase Confidence

The Checklist Exercise for Freedom

An Historic Choice

Acquiescing to Tyranny or Igniting the Fourth Democratic Wave

Appendix

Workshop and Online Course Evaluations

List of Tables

List of Figures

Photo Credits

The Checklist to End Tyranny HOW DISSIDENTS WILL WIN 21ST CENTURY CIVIL RESISTANCE CAMPAIGNS P E T E R AC K E R M A N Other publications by Peter Ackerman Strategic Nonviolent Conflict: The Dynamics of People Power in the Twentieth Century (with Chris Kruegler) PRAEGER – 1994 A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict (with Jack DuVall) ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN – 2000 How Freedom is Won: From Civic Resistance to Durable Democracy (with Adrian Karatnycky) FREEDOM HOUSE – 2005 Preventing Mass Atrocities: From a Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) to a Right to Assist (RtoA) Campaigns of Civil Resistance (with Hardy Merriman) ICNC PRESS – 2019 ON THE COVER: The picture on the cover was taken during the nonviolent conflict that ended Sudan’s reign of terror under Omar al-Bashir and his military allies that spanned three decades. Surprising experts worldwide, Sudanese dissidents skillfully designed and executed a winning strategy informed by knowledge of earlier successful civil resistance campaigns. Photo credit: Lana Haroun The Checklist to End Tyranny HOW DISSIDENTS WILL WIN 21 ST CENTURY CIVIL RESISTANCE CAMPAIGNS P E T E R A C K E R M A N The Checklist to End Tyranny: How Dissidents Will Win 21st Century Civil Resistance Campaigns by Peter Ackerman First edition: September 2021 Published by ICNC Press International Center on Nonviolent Conflict 600 New Hampshire Ave NW, Suite 710 Washington, D.C. 20037 USA [www.nonviolent-conflict.org](www.nonviolent-conflict.org) [CONTACT:](CONTACT: icnc@nonviolent-conflict.org)[ icnc@nonviolent-conflict.org](CONTACT: icnc@nonviolent-conflict.org) © 2021 Peter Ackerman All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-943271-50-4 1 2 3 4 5 6 Acknowledgments / 1 Introduction / 3 The Evolving Role of Civil Resistance in the Battle Against Tyranny Overcoming Fear and Confusion / 19 Five Ideas Dissidents Must Know How Dissidents Build Capabilities / 41 Checklist Questions One Through Four How Dissidents Navigate Conflict / 75 Checklist Questions Five Through Eight How Dissidents Increase Confidence / 111 The Checklist Exercise for Freedom An Historic Choice / 123 Acquiescing to Tyranny or Igniting the Fourth Democratic Wave Appendix / 135 Workshop and Online Course Evaluations List of Tables / 141 List of Figures / 142 Photo Credits / 143 Photo: Early stages of the Jasmine Revolution that unseated President Ben Ali in Tunisia, 2010. Acknowledgments FOLLOWING GENE SHARP’S passing in 2018, there is only one person who has been with me on this journey from the beginning. That is Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, my wife of 49 years. Through all this time she has been emphatic about why advancing understanding of nonviolent conflict is critical to preserving human rights and democratic governance—values we have always shared. In addition to Joanne’s vital encouragement, this book would not have been written without Hardy Merriman, the President and CEO of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. An earlier version of the Checklist can be found in a chapter I co-authored with Hardy for an edited volume published by the Atlantic Council, Is Authoritarianism Staging a Comeback? His thought partnership and contributions are reflected at various points in this book, and he has been diligent in bringing The Checklist to End Tyranny to publication by ICNC Press. Special thanks has to go to Maciej Bartkowski, Bruce Pearson, Alice Wren, and Lillian Hathaway for editing many drafts. I am indebted to many scholars whose work was referenced in the book and who have offered critical advice. They include Maria Stephan, Erica Chenoweth, Stephen Zunes, Jonathan Pinckney, and Ivan Marovic. Others who have reviewed the text include Aaron Lobel, Reuben Brigety, and Hans Binnendijk. In the aggregate they have sharpened ideas and identified contradictions and important omissions. This volume has been signifi

FAQs

Why do tyrannies persist, according to the book’s introduction?

The book argues tyrannies persist when citizens fail to understand how to undermine the tyrant’s support without resorting to violence. It emphasizes how nonviolent disruption can force rulers from power.

What nonviolent tactics do oppressed populations use in the author’s framing?

The text highlights strikes, boycotts, mass protests, and other forms of disrupting societal order as powerful drivers of liberation.

How does the book help dissidents act more effectively?

It focuses on building capabilities, navigating conflict, increasing confidence, and uses a structured checklist exercise to guide action for freedom.

Oct 22, 2026

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