Tinfoil Hat Politics: Conspiracy Thinking in American Politics

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

In a classic 1964 article, David Hofstadter identified a “paranoid style” of American Politics, one of the main features of which was the propensity for a belief in conspiracy theories about political power. Conspiracy thinking has become increasingly relevant in American politics. In this roundtable, we will critically revisit Hofstadter’s claim with reference to a variety of recent political conspiracy claims and newly published analytical material. Certainly, the rise of Trump-style populism lends itself to this kind of conversation. Indeed, his political power was telescoped in 2008 with his major role in stoking the “birther” conspiracy against Barack Obama. Upon reflection, political conspiracy theory thinking pre-dates its recent Trump related resurgence. Part of Trump’s base was likely already familiar with it prior to birtherism. For example, Alex Jones’ Infowars, a right-wing conspiracy-based website, promoted such thinking with ideas such as the so-called “false flag,” the notion that there are operations perpetrated by elites in the government in order to dupe Americans into supporting unpopular actions or viewpoints. One example is the claim is that the 9/11 tragedy was one such operation. Less extreme politics has also invoked the idea of conspiracy as exemplified in 1998 when Hillary Clinton defended Bill Clinton by claiming that there was a “vast right-wing conspiracy” against him. Conspiracies also swirled in certain circles in response George H.W. Bush’s 1991 speech announcing the arrival of “new world order.” The phrase, it was said, was a dog whistle signal to a secret power elite that they should advance a long-foretold globalist world government agenda. These examples only constitute a small sampling of recent conspiracies. The internet has only increased the propensity for conspiratorial thinking with its ability to share rumors and tall tales with an alarming speed. It is tempting to dismiss all of this as “tinfoil hat” politics. However, many conspiracies which would on first hearing seem to be the product of paranoid lunacy, have turned out to be true. For example, the FBI really did infiltrate left wing groups with the intent of undermining democratic rights in its COINTELPRO operations. The CIA really did experiment with LSD on American citizens without their knowledge or consent. Oliver North really was in charge of a secret “black op” to sell weapons for profit to Iran in order to fund the “contras” in the civil war in Nicaragua in express violation of the Boland Amendment. The idea of political conspiracy thinking in fact raises multiple issues that have been brought into relief in the Trump years. How can one effectively respond to conspiracies designed to undermine democracy, such as birtherism? On the other hand, is it naïve for serious scholars to continue to dismiss conspiracy theory out of hand when we know from the historical record that conspiracy and elite machinations have in fact occurred and do exist? Serious scholars have eschewed conspiracy theories of power in favor of more nuanced ones focused on large power structures. This roundtable proposes revisiting the idea of conspiracy in an attempt to open a discussion about productive ways for scholars to critically engage and respond to the mainstreaming of fringe beliefs about political power.

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 42: New Political Science

Chair

• Judith Grant Ohio University

Presenters

• Sean Parson Northern Arizona University

• Claire Snyder-Hall Independent Scholar