Catalogue

Record Details

Catalogue Search



A lot of people are saying : the new conspiracism and the assault on democracy  Cover Image Book Book

A lot of people are saying : the new conspiracism and the assault on democracy / Russell Muirhead, Nancy L. Rosenblum.

Summary:

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. Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum show how the new conspiracism differs from classic conspiracy theory, why so few officials speak truth to conspiracy, 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.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780691188836
  • ISBN: 0691188831
  • Physical Description: ix, 211 pages ; 23 cm
  • Publisher: Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2019]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Section I: The new conspiracism. Conspiracy without theory -- It's true enough -- Presidential conspiracism. Section II: Delegitimating democracy. Political parties -- Knowledge -- Who owns reality? Section III: Defending democracy. Speaking truth. -- Conclusion: The crisis of democracy.
Subject: United States > Politics and government > 21st century.
Conspiracy theories > United States.
Democracy > United States.

Available copies

  • 2 of 2 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Prince Rupert Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 2 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Holdable? Status Due Date
Prince Rupert Library 320.973 Muir (Text) 33294002053726 Adult Non-Fiction Volume hold Available -


Additional Resources