Conspiracy theories often stem from legitimate populist suspicion of elites

Evidence

University of Florida professor Mark Fenster points out that conspiracy theories are often an exaggerated expression of American populism: our suspicion of authority figures, our fear of consolidation of power. Echoing that, journalist David Aaronovitch notes that a conspiracy theory is likely to be “politically populist, in that it usually claims to lay bare an action taken by a small power elite against the people.” — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 66

Categorization

• XREF: This populist-reason interpretation parallels the vault’s earlier claim that authoritarian attitudes can express (not only suppress) democratic-individualist resistance. — connects to: Political exclusion drives left-leaning people to conspiracy theorizing — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 25; Conspiracy theory is a global phenomenon that state elites themselves deploy — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 60; Elite rhetoric substantially raises public conspiracy talk — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 679 (+6 more)
• QUESTION: Worth checking whether Fenster’s populism thesis aligns with or undercuts the vault’s shared-threat-mechanism framing of conspiracy belief.

Broader Connections

• Elite rhetoric substantially raises public conspiracy talk #expands (0.80) — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 679
• Conspiracy theories give concrete form to a group’s sensed loss of power #expands (0.80) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 58
• Conspiracism and populism are separable forces with independent effects #qualifies (0.78) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 151
• Antipathy toward wealth unites left and right anti-elite conspiracists #qualifies (0.75) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 355