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conspiracy theories

November 14, 2024

Trump branded Kamala Harris an extreme leftist. Did that cost her the election?

Sanne van Oosten Stereotypes of race and gender didn’t seem to stick to Kamala Harris. But another kind did. Sanne van Oosten argues that in the run-up to the US election, the Trump campaign stereotyped Harris as an extreme leftist – a policy stereotype exacerbated by her race and gender Read more
November 6, 2024

How Dark MAGA memes are shaping radical belief systems

Mimi Mihăilescu Online memes have evolved from satirical messages to powerful ideological tools. Recently, the far-right 'Dark MAGA' movement has harnessed memes for political messaging and identity-building. Mimi Mihăilescu describes how Elon Musk has emerged as an anti-establishment symbol: revered, weaponised, and transformed within these radicalised online communities. Read more
July 8, 2024

🔮 Anti-systemic populism during the Covid-19 pandemic

Frederik Henriksen Frederik Henriksen analyses anti-systemic, populist movements during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here, he explains how these movements rely on alternative news media to establish their own digital information bubbles, and shows how ideological partisanship evolved in these environments Read more
April 11, 2024

Why do some conspiracy theories stay popular on social media?

Courtney Blackington Not all conspiracy theories that spread on social media remain popular over time. Courtney Blackington and Frances Cayton argue that conspiracy theories which map onto salient cleavages are more likely to persist and spread online. They find that elites who endorse conspiracy theories do not always attract engagement unless an event occurs that makes those conspiracy theories salient Read more
January 4, 2024

🔮 Science-related populism and populist electoral performance

Fabio Bordignon Fabio Bordignon explores the relationship between pseudoscientific beliefs and support for populist parties. This link, he argues, changes according to the political trajectories of populist actors and their paths toward institutions Read more
February 28, 2023

How ideological polarisation drives protest against Covid containment measures

Sophia Hunger In recent years, demonstrations against containment measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 have dominated the protest landscape. Sophia Hunger, Swen Hutter and Eylem Kanol explain what drives individuals from passive sympathy to active participation. They find that political and ideological attitudes, rather than 'biographical availability', play a critical role Read more
November 21, 2022

War in Ukraine: are negotiations possible?

Alexandr Burilkov Faced with the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, and with military costs mounting, the Russian elite has splintered into bickering factions. Alexandr Burilkov argues that the nationalist information space is exerting significant pressure on Putin to continue and escalate the war. This makes negotiations and a lasting ceasefire unlikely Read more
February 3, 2022

Covid-19 disinformation: how smaller untruths can be more infectious than hard lies

Michael Hameleers Michael Hameleers explains his team's experimental results: that COVID-19 disinformation is most credible – and dangerous – when it stays close to objective facts. This in turn has implications for how disinformation can be countered. Read more

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THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH
Advancing Political Science
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