Revealing Schemes : The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region

Conspiracy theories are not just outlandish ideas. They can also be political weapons. Conspiracy theories have come to play an increasingly prominent role in political systems around the world. In Revealing Schemes , Scott Radnitz moves beyond psychological explanations for why people believe conspiracy theories to explore the politics surrounding them, placing two questions at the center of his account: What leads regimes to promote conspiracy claims? And what effects do those claims have on politics and society? Focusing on the former Soviet Union―a region of the world where such theories have long thrived―he shows that incumbent politicians tend to make conspiracy claims to demonstrate their knowledge and authority at moments of uncertainty and threat. They emerge more often where there is serious political competition rather than unbridled autocracy and in response to events that challenge a regime's ability to rule. Yet conspiracy theories can also be habit-forming and persist as part of an official narrative even where immediate threats have subsided―a strategy intended to strengthen regimes, but that may inadvertently undermine them. Revealing Schemes explores the causes, consequences, and contradictions of conspiracism in politics with an original collection of over 1,500 conspiracy claims from across the post-Soviet region, two national surveys, and 12 focus groups. At a time of heightened distrust in democratic institutions and rising illiberal populism around the world, understanding how conspiracy theories operate in a region where democracy came late―or never arrived―can be instructive for concerned citizens everywhere. "Insidious Schemes addresses two questions: When do regimes promote conspiracy claims? And what are their effects? This book moves beyond psychological explanations to explore the politics surrounding conspiracy theories. Using a new database of over 1,500 conspiracy claims collected from 12 post-Soviet states from 1995 to 2014, it shows that the wielders of conspiracy tend to enter the fray in moments of uncertainty, chaos, and panic. Conspiracy claims flow most freely where there is serious political competition rather than unbridled autocracy; and in response to destabilizing events that challenge a ruler's claim to maintain order. Leaders who anticipate future challenges can disseminate conspiracy narratives proactively as an insurance policy. But if conspiracy becomes overused, it can also backfire. Surveys and focus groups from Georgia and Kazakhstan reveal individuals who are exposed to a greater amount of intrigue are more cynical and conspiratorial. Yet, conspiracists are also suspicious of the motives of authority figures who tout conspiratorial ideas. The upshot is that conspiracism may fail as a political strategy. Insidious Schemes sheds light on a region where conspiracy theories have long been part of mainstream political discourse. It reveals how they emerge from a combination of cutthroat politics, widespread cynicism, and the absence of trusted, neutral institutions that can adjudicate the truth. At a time of heightened distrust in democratic institutions and rising populism around the world, understanding how conspiracy theories are used in a region where democracy came late-or never arrived-can be instructive for concerned citizens everywhere"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Revealing Schemes 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 10 Preface and Acknowledgments 12 Introduction: Conspiracy Claims after Communism 16 1. Of Power and Peril: Conspiracy Claims as Fighting Words 27 2. Traumas and Tyranny? The Long-​Term and Proximate Roots of Conspiracism 43 3. The Lay of the Land: What 20 Years of Post-​Soviet Conspiracy Claims Tell Us 59 4. Connecting the Dots: Patterns of Conspiracism in Post-​Soviet Politics 82 5. The Emergence and Ascendancy of Conspiracism in Russia 99 6. Shadowy Deeds in Russia’s Shadow: Conspiracy Claims in Four Countries 125 7. The Consequences of Conspiracism: What People Believe and Why 146 8. Citizen Cynics: How People Talk and Think about Conspiracy 168 9. Disaffection, Disinformation, and Democracy 188 Appendix 204 Notes 216 Index 252 Conspiracy theories are not just outlandish ideas. They can also be political weapons. Conspiracy theories have come to play an increasingly prominent role in political systems around the world. In 'Revealing Schemes', Scott Radnitz moves beyond psychological explanations for why people believe conspiracy theories to explore the politics surrounding them, placing two questions at the center of his account: What leads regimes to promote conspiracy claims? And what effects do those claims have on politics and society? Focusing on the former Soviet Union - a region of the world where such theories have long thrived - he shows that incumbent politicians tend to make conspiracy claims to demonstrate their knowledge and authority at moments of uncertainty and threat Conspiracy theories are not just outlandish ideas. They can also be political weapons. Conspiracy theories have come to play an increasingly prominent role in political systems around the world. In *Revealing Schemes*, Scott Radnitz moves beyond psychological explanations for why people believe conspiracy theories to explore the politics around them, placing two questions at the center of this account. what leads regimes to promote conspiracy claims? And what effects do those claims have on politics and society? Focusing the former Soviet Union : a region of the world where such theories have long thrived - he shows that incumbent politicians tend to make conspiracy claims to demonstrate their knowledge and authority at moments of uncertainly and threat- List of Figures List of Tables Preface and Acknowledgements Conspiracy Claims after Communism Of Power and Peril : Conspiracy Claims as Fighting Words Traumas and Tyranny? The Long-Term and Proximate Roots of Conspiration The Lay of the Land : What 20 Years of Post-Soviet Conspiracy Claims Tell Us Connecting the Dots : Patterns of Conspiracism in Post-Soviet Politics The Emergence and Ascendancy of Conspiracism in Russia Shadowy Deeds in Russia's Shadow : Conspiracy Claims in Four Countries The Consequence of Conspiracism : What People Believe and Why Citizen Cynics : How People Talk and Think about Conspiracy Disaffection, Disinformation and Democracy Appendix Notes Index