Conspiracist claims now align symmetrically with partisan identity on both sides

Evidence

Distinguishing warranted from unwarranted conspiracist claims is further complicated by the way conspiracism aligns with partisan identity. Democrats are more likely to say that Trump colluded with Russia to cripple Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Republicans are more likely to say that the media are manufacturing fake news to bring down the president. We find ourselves navigating a political world buffeted by warring conspiracist claims. Is the miasma of conspiracism settling over politics wholesale? Is there a symmetry of untethered accusation launched from all sides? — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 36

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader literature on motivated reasoning and partisan perception, and to framing debates about ‘both-sides’ symmetry in coverage of conspiracy narratives. — connects to: Partisan identity skews which conspiracist claims people credit — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 36; Ideologically aligned false news is remembered far more by partisans — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 83; Conspiracism and radical conservatism align over a shared hostility to the administrative state — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 222 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Partisan identity skews which conspiracist claims people credit #corroborates (0.90) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 36
• Ideologically aligned false news is remembered far more by partisans #corroborates (0.85) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 83
• Presenting disconfirming evidence to partisans strengthens rather than weakens their views #exemplifies (0.75) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 132
• Conspiracism and radical conservatism align over a shared hostility to the administrative state #qualifies (0.70) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 222