Conspiracism is a term used by some political writers, such as Chip Berlet, Michael Kelly, and Frank P. Mintz , in reference to adherents to conspiracy theory and the perceived beliefs of those adherents.
According to Frank P. Mintz, conspiracism denotes "belief in the primacy of conspiracies in the unfolding of history" (1985: p.4). "Conspiracism serves the needs of diverse political and social groups in America and elsewhere. It identifies elites, blames them for economic and social catastrophes, and assumes that things will be better once popular action can remove them from positions of power. As such, conspiracy theories do not typify a particular epoch or ideology" (1985: p.199).
According to Chip Berlet, "conspiracism is often related to apocalypticism in ways that generate dualism, and the demonizing or scapegoating of an individual or group. Ideas are shared by conspiracists across political and social boundaries."
Critics of the use of the term "conspiracism" consider it a political neologism.
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References
- Michael Barkun. 2003. A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America. Berkeley: Univ. of California. ISBN 0520238052
- Robert Alan Goldberg. 2001. Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300090005
- Frank P. Mintz. 1985. The Liberty Lobby and the American Right: Race, Conspiracy, and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood. ISBN 031324393X
- Richard Hofstadter. 1965. The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0674654617
