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.

Key Facts

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)