Overview

The second edition of this popular text, updated throughout and now including Covid-19 and the 2020 presidential election and aftermath, introduces students to the research into conspiracy theories and the people who propagate and believe them. In doing so, Uscinski and Enders address the psychological, sociological, and political sources of conspiracy theorizing. They rigorously analyze the most current arguments and evidence while providing numerous real-world examples so students can contextualize the current debates. Each chapter addresses important current questions, provides conceptual tools, defines important terms, and introduces the appropriate methods of analysis.

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9781538173244

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Reviews

At a time when expert knowledge has come under attack and fevered partisanship is rampant, Conspiracy Theories: A Primer is a useful guide to help readers make sense of this disorienting state of affairs. Drawing on a large range of research from multiple fields, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the state of knowledge on conspiracy theories in an entertaining and accessible way. This book will appeal to newcomers curious about what they hear in the news as well as researchers seeking to make their own mark on the field. As the authors make clear, conspiracy theories have been with us for a long time and are not likely to disappear anytime soon. --Scott Radnitz, Herbert J. Ellison Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of Washington and author of Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region If you are looking for a very accessible book that systematically outlines and insightfully discusses academic research on conspiracy theories on the most pressing topics today, bingo! --Turkay Nefes, author of Online Anti-Semitism in Turkey If you think America has never been as prone to conspiracy thinking as it is now, that conspiracy theories are overwhelmingly found just on one end of the political spectrum, that only mentally disturbed people believe in conspiracies, or that censorship is a wise way to battle misinformation, this book should disabuse you of all those myths--and many more. --Jesse Walker, author of The United States of Paranoia Too often, conspiracy theory culture is dismissed as a sign of the times, something unique to today's news, today's personalities. Uscinski makes a very important lesson clear: Conspiracy ideation is not just something that's in the news right now; it's a constant throughout the human race and throughout human history. The better we understand this and how we're all susceptible to such faulty thought processes, the better inoculated against it we become. This primer should be an annual re-read for everyone -- imagine how much good that would do in the world. --Brian Dunning, host of the podcast Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena and author of Conspiracies Declassified Uscinski and Enders thread the needle between what we often assume is the problem of belief in conspiracy theories vs. the problem of how we should talk about conspiracy theories. Looking at how different academic fields have tried to get to grips with what, if anything, is wrong with these things we call 'conspiracy theories, ' Uscinski and Enders take all of us conspiracy theory theorists to task in some way, shape, or form, and--as a consequence--provides a through-line of analysis that doesn't borrow but, rather, synthesises work across the broader literature. This book is not just a valuable resource for people who are interested in finding out how the wider academic literature understands conspiracy theory theory; rather, it is a guide to navigating our sometimes conspiratorial waters. --M R. X. Dentith, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai Uscinski and Enders' excellent book provides the reader with an excellent overview of the nature of belief in conspiracy theories as gleaned from research carried out by psychologists, sociologists, and political scientists. It also effectively explodes many widely held popular misconceptions regarding such beliefs. It is written in a clear and accessible style making it suitable for both students and the interested lay reader. Highly recommended. --Christopher French, Emeritus Professor Chris French, Goldsmiths, University of London What do conspiracy beliefs mean for current politics, and what drives them? Easily accessible, nuanced, critical, carefully argued, and meticulously sourced, the updated and revised Conspiracy Theories: A Primer is a highly useful introduction for students and lay persons alike. Uscinski and Enders cover the field of contemporary research. They show the broader contexts, address common mistakes, and give the reader the current and best data on different general and specific beliefs. --Asbjørn Dyrendal, professor of the history of religion, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Author Information

Joseph E. Uscinski is associate professor of political science at University of Miami. He is editor of Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them (forthcoming), coauthor of American Conspiracy Theories (2014) and author of The People’s News: Media, Politics, and the Demands of Capitalism (2014). Adam Enders is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Louisville. His research focuses on the role of suspicion and conspiratorial thinking in American mass politics, the influence of core values on political identities and attitudes, and the evolving nature of mass polarization.

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