More than half of Americans endorse conspiratorial narratives about current political events
Evidence
Also unsettling is the knowledge that a large number of people assent to conspiracist charges. Affirmations of conspiracy seem to envelop us—and not only because conspiracism has moved into the White House. More than half of Americans “consistently endorse some kind of conspiratorial narrative about a current political event or phenomenon.” It is as if conspiracy-minded officials and citizens suffer what the philosopher John Dewey called “a conscription of thought.” — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 31
Categorization
- QUESTION: The poll’s methodology and question wording would be worth chasing; ‘consistently endorse’ suggests a specific survey threshold.
- XREF: connects to: Over half of Americans now endorse at least one conspiracy theory. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 14; Majorities of Americans hold at least some conspiratorial beliefs — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 120; Conspiratorial belief is mainstream across American demographics. — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 48 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Over half of Americans now endorse at least one conspiracy theory.
#corroborates(1.00) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 14 - Majorities of Americans hold at least some conspiratorial beliefs
#corroborates(0.95) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 120 - Conspiratorial belief is mainstream across American demographics.
#expands(0.85) — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 48 - Conspiracy belief is universal across demographics while specific theories split along party lines
#expands(0.85) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 93 - Most people hold at least one conspiratorial belief.
#expands(0.80) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 120