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conspiracy theories

March 25, 2025

How social media and online communities influence climate change beliefs

James Rice In an era of misinformation and political polarisation, climate science is under siege. James Rice explores how social and political forces shape climate beliefs, arguing for a strategic, interdisciplinary approach to strengthening environmental communication and trust Read more
March 4, 2025

Elon Musk, Călin Georgescu and the Soros spectacle

Mimi Mihăilescu Elon Musk has endorsed Călin Georgescu as Romania's next president. But what happens when a tech billionaire and a far-right Romanian politician collide? A political firestorm. In a world where billionaires and populists are manipulating elections in the name of 'democracy', Mimi Mihăilescu shows how Musk has succeeded in weaponising Romania's sovereignty Read more
December 16, 2024

Populism’s dual use of conspiracy theories

Courtney Blackington Courtney Blackington and Frances Cayton argue that populist politicians tend to dog-whistle conspiracy theories when speaking to general audiences, but explicitly endorse them when speaking to supporters. Thus, politicians strategically invoke conspiracy theories to avoid blowback, while still managing to rally their core supporter base Read more
November 29, 2024

🔮 Strong women, carnival populism, and Romania's new far-right leader

Camil Ungureanu Camil Ungureanu and Delia Dumitrica examine the phenomenon of Diana Șoșoacă, Romania's far-right strongwoman leader and TikTok sensation. While the populist right tends to champion traditional gender roles, Șoșoacă is crafting fresh gender narratives that resonate with female voters, Read more
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

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THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH
Advancing Political Science
© 2024 European Consortium for Political Research. The ECPR is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) number 1167403 ECPR, Harbour House, 6-8 Hythe Quay, Colchester, CO2 8JF, United Kingdom.
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