2026/07/07 by Matthew Cashman
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #econ.GN #econ.TH #q-fin.EC
arxiv created 2026/07/28 · arxiv updated 2026/07/30
Controversial views sometimes remain unspoken because they invite retaliation. However, a sufficiently large group could speak safely if only they spoke together. Speaking one-by-one may encourage others, but retaliation against early participants can stop the cascade before a protective group forms. A social assurance contract privately collects signed commitments and publishes them only when all signers will be safe. I show that such contracts can tunnel beneath this exposure barrier to safe coalitions the public speaking cascade cannot reach. Doing so requires private commitments and joint publication.