Collapse of institutional trust creates a narrative power vacuum that conspiracy ideologies fill

Evidence

The surge in the prominence of conspiracy sellers and the variety of wares they peddle shows they are a market that’s been quietly building itself on the edges of society for decades. It should be no surprise, in the end, that it ultimately broke into the mainstream. The result is a chaotic wonderland where every conspiracy idea, no matter how long dead, dormant, or ridiculous, has a chance to return and flourish. The past couple of years have seen a resurgence of discredited medical treatments—like using apricot pits to cure cancer, or bleach enemas to treat autism—and old hoaxes, such as, again, the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. At the same time, our trust in institutions and experts and authority figures—media, government, scientists—hovers at a historic low. No one can be trusted. Everything and every possibility is equally plausible. We no longer have a common set of facts on which to agree, not even the shape of the Earth. That amounts to a power vacuum, which creates an opportunity for someone—or many someones—to seize control and promote their own narratives and their own truths. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 122

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to vault epistemic-style claims — loss of shared facts mirrors the epistemic vacuum mechanisms in Christian nationalism and authoritarianism notes. — connects to: Stress and institutional distrust drive Americans toward conspiracy explanations of unwelcome reality. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 54; Threat and insecurity from structural conditions drive heightened conspiracy thinking — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 56; Conspiracy theories give concrete form to a group’s sensed loss of power — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 58 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• New conspiracism obscures real power by delegitimating the institutions that render it visible #qualifies (0.75) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 363
• Conspiracy theories are accessible ways to speak truth to power #corroborates (0.70) — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 842