Dr. Joseph Uscinski - Conspiracy Theories and The People Who Believe Them.

Dr. Joseph Uscinski is an American political scientist specializing in the study of conspiracy theories. In 2015, Uscinski organized and convened the first international conference on conspiracy theory research, featuring more than fifty scholars from ten countries. Uscinski was frequently consulted by journalists during the 2016 U.S. election for his commentary on the rise of campaign-fueled conspiracy theories and for his criticism of their use by politicians. He argued that both Trump and Clinton were using conspiracy theories to mobilize sectors of the electorate that did not trust mainstream candidates.Uscinski's most notable book, American Conspiracy Theories, studies the waxing and waning of conspiracy theorizing over time in the United States. The main hypothesis of the book was that conspiracy theories are for losers. By that, they argue that those who are out of power tend to use conspiracy theories to consolidate resources, focus attention on an enemy, and aim at redemption. The book has been widely reviewed and discussed. Recent survey evidence taken before and after the 2016 election provides positive evidence for the conspiracy theories are for losers theory. More controversially, Uscinski argues that Republicans and Democrats are equally taken to conspiracy theorizing, and that Americans may not be engaging in conspiracy theorizing more than in previous decades.Support the show