Let’s flesh that out with a more legal definition I sent to 340 co-workers just this last Monday:
Coercion:
The intimidation of a victim to compel the individual to do some act against his or her will by the use of psychological pressure, physical force, or threats. The crime of intentionally and unlawfully restraining another’s freedom by threatening to commit a crime, accusing the victim of a crime, disclosing any secret that would seriously impair the victim’s reputation in the community, or by performing or refusing to perform an official action lawfully requested by the victim, or by causing an official to do so.
The intimidation of a victim to compel the individual to do some act against his or her will by the use of psychological pressure, physical force, or threats. The crime of intentionally and unlawfully restraining another’s freedom by threatening to commit a crime, accusing the victim of a crime, disclosing any secret that would seriously impair the victim’s reputation in the community, or by performing or refusing to perform an official action lawfully requested by the victim, or by causing an official to do so.
This defines it very nicely; thanks for putting this up there.
I'm certain that the threat to one's livelihood has been recognized in legal circles as coercion throughout Judeo-Christian history, if for no other reason than the act of depriving a man of his just wages is one of the four sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance.