Conspiracy theories are about as old as governments themselves. But "the new conspiracism" is something new and different; it's conspiracy without the theory, say the authors of a new book on conspiracy thinking. We're talking about the new conspiracism and how it disorients our conversations and affects democracy, institutions and daily life.
Russell Muirhead is the Robert Clements Professor of Democracy and Politics at Dartmouth College. He’s the co-author, along with Harvard professor Nancy L. Rosenblum, of the new book A Lot Of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism And The Assault On Democracy.
Muirhead joins Vermont Edition to talk about the difference between conspiracy theories and "the new conspiracism," how it affects institutions and political parties and ways to confront conspiracy thinking.
Broadcast live on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
