Political actors can legitimize conspiracy theories by inspiring new investigation into them

Evidence

More important, Rich’s death became a particular and gruesome illustration of the political usefulness of conspiracy theories in America. For a variety of reasons, Trump supporters—and quite possibly the president himself—were deeply invested in promoting their own version of how Rich died. His death shows the way in which self-interested political actors can lift a conspiracy theory out of obscurity and work to legitimize it, inspiring further “investigation” into a bogus idea. They use the results of that investigation to push the idea even farther, and what results is an endless feedback loop that creates an alternate reality. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 432

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘investigation legitimizes the theory, which spurs more investigation’ loop mirrors the knowledge-work cycles the reader has traced in extralegal institutions and reputation systems from the Milgrom and diamond-trade books. — connects to: Conspiracy theories can be generated about conspiracy theorists themselves. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 958; Conspiracy theories are accessible ways to speak truth to power — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 842; Partisan bias charges escalated into a coup conspiracy narrative — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 91 (+6 more)