Which Side Do Conspiracy Theorists Lean Toward?

Conspiracy theories are a prevalent belief in the existence of a conspiracy by powerful and sinister groups, often political. This belief is systematically attractive to those on either the left or right, and has positive and negative correlations with partisan and ideological identities, as well as support for Biden and Trump. A study examining data from over 100,000 people across 26 countries found that conspiracy theories are more common among the right.

Conspiration theories in United States politics are beliefs that a major political situation is the result of secretive collusion by powerful people striving to harm a rival group. As 2020 enters its home stretch, new conspiracy theories seem to keep coming up, such as Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud during the presidential election. Liberal commentators frequently condemn conspiracy theories that threaten public safety, and the US mainstream media exploded in 2016 when an explosion of conspiracy theories emerged.

An extensive new study finds that belief in conspiracy theories is about equally common on different sides of the political spectrum. Liberal critics and journalists accuse conspiracy theorists to their left and right of paranoia, irresponsibly excessive rhetoric, and dangerous orientations and behaviors. Since conspiracy theory beliefs are associated with dangerous orientations and behaviors, it is imperative that social scientists better understand these beliefs.

A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy by powerful and sinister groups, often political. While conspiracy thinking is not on the rise, the liberal and left-wing warping of reality, a trend called “BlueAnon”, is fueling information.