In An Election Season Rampant With Mistrust, Both Democrats And Republicans Fall For Conspiracy Theories
Topline
A majority of Americans on both the right and left believe unproven or debunked conspiracy theories, according to a joint survey published by the Center For American Progress and the American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life, some of which are extremely pertinent to the ongoing pandemic and bitterly contested election.
The United States capitol building half red and blue, representing Democrat and Republican political … [+]
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Key Facts
Sixty percent of Democrats believe Russia has “damaging” information on President Donald Trump, while only about one-third of Americans overall believe that to be true.
About the same percentage of Republicans think there’s a shadow organization of “unelected government officials” out to sabotage the Trump administration.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to have incorrect beliefs about Covid-19, with 48% saying the coronavirus is no worse than the average flu compared to 25% or Democrats.
Forty-two percent of Republicans think hydroxychloroquine, once touted by Trump, is an effective treatment for coronavirus, compared to only 5% of Democrats — research has shown it to be ineffective.
Democrats are at least 10% more likely than Republicans to believe the federal government as well as oil, gas and coal conglomerates are willing to hide, or refuse to release relevant information to the public.
While a majority of Americans are confident the November election will be run at least somewhat well, there’s a nearly mirror image contrast between Republicans, 77% of whom think mail-voting could lead to massive fraud, and Democrats, 79% of whom disagree.
Key Background
The survey was designed by the Center For American Progress and the American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life and conducted among a random sample of 2006 adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. One area where Americans on both sides of the aisle agree was media bias. Seventy-five percent of Americans said news outlets tend to favor one party or the other when reporting on politics. The study found that around two-thirds of Americans thought “you can learn more about what is going on in the world by ignoring mainstream news and doing your own research.”
Crucial Quote
“American society faces a genuine crisis in public trust in government, corporations, and the media, exacerbated by wide partisan divides about who and what to believe,” John Halpin, a CAP senior fellow and co-author of the report, said in a statement. “Rebuilding public trust in major institutions, and the information they provide the public, is now a national priority.”
Further Reading
Conspiracy theories, misinformation, COVID-19, and the 2020 election (Survey Center on American Life)
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