New conspiracism will likely spread beyond the United States

Evidence

While classic conspiracy theories arise all over the world, as of now the new conspiracism is most evident in the United States. Even where classic conspiracy theories abound, there is little evidence of the kind of bare assertion and fabulist concoction that characterize the new conspiracism. But there is reason to think this will change. The developments we describe in the United States over the last decade are likely to come to the democracies of Europe, to India, and elsewhere. New communications technologies that eliminate the traditional gatekeeping functions of the media create an opening. Conspiracy entrepreneurs seize on this opening. So do opportunistic politicians. And the power that the new conspiracism can exert in politics is amplified, as we see, when political parties and other institutions are weakened and in disarray. Because all these factors are in play, the new conspiracism is unlikely to be contained to the United States. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 370

Categorization

• QUESTION: The prediction that new conspiracism travels to Europe and India with weakened institutions is a testable claim worth revisiting.
• XREF: connects to: New conspiracism is currently US-specific but likely to spread globally. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 370; Global erosion of institutional trust sustains conspiracy belief beyond any single political era — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 112; Conspiracy theory is a global phenomenon that state elites themselves deploy — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 60

Broader Connections

• New conspiracism is currently US-specific but likely to spread globally. #corroborates (0.95) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 370
• Global erosion of institutional trust sustains conspiracy belief beyond any single political era #expands (0.75) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 112
• Conspiracy theory is a global phenomenon that state elites themselves deploy #corroborates (0.72) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 60