A Lot Of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism And The Assault On Democracy

Description

How the new conspiracists are undermining democracy―and what can be done about it. Conspiracy theories are as old as politics. But conspiracists today have introduced something new―conspiracy without theory. And the new conspiracism has moved from the fringes to the heart of government with the election of Donald Trump. In A Lot of People Are Saying, Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum show how the new conspiracism differs from classic conspiracy theory, how it undermines democracy, and what needs to be done to resist it. Classic conspiracy theory insists that things are not what they seem and gathers evidence—especially facts ominously withheld by official sources—to tease out secret machinations. The new conspiracism is different. There is no demand for evidence, no dots revealed to form a pattern, no close examination of shadowy plotters. Dispensing with the burden of explanation, the new conspiracism imposes its own reality through repetition (exemplified by the Trump catchphrase "a lot of people are saying") and bare assertion ("rigged!"). The new conspiracism targets democratic foundations—political parties and knowledge-producing institutions. It makes it more difficult to argue, persuade, negotiate, compromise, and even to disagree. Ultimately, it delegitimates democracy. Filled with vivid examples, A Lot of People Are Saying diagnoses a defining and disorienting feature of today's politics and offers a guide to responding to the threat. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Section I. The New Conspiracism......Page 30 1. Conspiracy without the Theory......Page 32 2. It’s True Enough......Page 55 3. Presidential Conspiracism......Page 72 Section II. Delegitimating Democracy......Page 92 4. Political Parties......Page 94 5. Knowledge......Page 114 6. Who Owns Reality?......Page 135 Section III. Defending Democracy......Page 152 7. Speaking Truth......Page 154 Conclusion: The Crisis of Democracy......Page 179 Notes......Page 190 Acknowledgments......Page 214 Index......Page 216