Study Significance
Although conspiracy theories have long been a staple of American political culture, no research had systematically examined the nature of their support in the mass public prior to this study; the authors used multiple national surveys to document how widespread and patterned conspiracism is.
Measuring Conspiracy Belief and the Data
The analysis uses four nationally representative surveys sampled between 2006 and 2011; conspiracy belief is measured by endorsement of specific popular conspiracy theories included on those surveys.
Comparisons Across Groups and Dimensions
The authors compared endorsement levels across ideological and anomic dimensions and tested associations with traits and attitudes such as authoritarianism, political conservatism, and general willingness to believe in unseen intentional forces.
Key Findings and Their Interpretation
About half of the American public consistently endorses at least one conspiracy theory across the surveys.
Support for specific popular conspiracy theories is patterned along ideological and anomic dimensions rather than being confined to a single political camp.
Contrary to several theoretical speculations, the study does not find conspiracism to be explained by greater authoritarianism, ignorance, or political conservatism; instead, the strongest predictors are a general willingness to believe in unseen, intentional forces and an attraction to Manichean (good-versus-evil) narratives.
The authors interpret these patterns as showing that conspiracism is a widespread mode of political explanation shaped more by cognitive and narrative predispositions than by simple demographic or ideological profiles.
