3.5% rule

proper noun

The observation that nonviolent resistance campaigns involving at least 3.5% of the population are likely to achieve political change.

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Meanings

proper nounthe 3.5% rule
  1. governmentThe observation that nonviolent resistance campaigns involving at least 3.5% of the population are likely to achieve political change.

    Regarding the “3.5% rule”, she [Erica Chenoweth] points out that while 3.5% is a small minority, such a level of active participation probably means many more people tacitly agree with the cause.

    2019 May 13, David Robson, “The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world”, in BBC, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2025
Cite this entry
APA

3.5% rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/3.5%25%20rule

MLA

“3.5% rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/3.5%25%20rule. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “3.5% rule,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/3.5%25%20rule.

Source: 3.5% rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.