Do Political Endorsements Affect Support for Conspiracy Theories?

Abstract

Objectives: This article examines how support for conspiracy theories is affected by political endorsement. By relying on the literature on partisan cues and the role of political identity (partisan or ideological) in shaping people's attitudes and behaviors, we argue that endorsement of conspiracy theories by political elites convergent (divergent) with one's political identity should increase (decrease) belief in said conspiracy theories. Methods: We rely on data collected from over 10,000 respondents in Brazil to evaluate this hypothesis by embedding a wording experiment in questions tapping support for conspiracy theories. Results: We find that partisans of the Workers' Party, a well-established party with a strong base of supporters, are affected by political endorsements by showing greater (lower) support for conspiracy theories when endorsed by political elites convergent (divergent) with their political identity. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that political endorsements of conspiracy theories exert similar effects as endorsements of other political issues or public policies.