Functions and Uses of Conspiracy Theories in Authoritarian Regimes

Abstract

rigor of ideology) does not offer a robust theoretical base. Its raison d'état is its constitutive others. Authoritarian or non-democratic regimes and ideologies employ conspiracy theories as communicative and proactive propaganda tools to reinforce and legitimate their power, by emphasising 'foreign threats', 'deep state' activities or 'enemies within'. Using examples from several geographic areas such as the Middle East (see Chapter 5.8), Latin America (see Chapter 5.11) or post-Soviet space (see Chapter 5.5), this chapter will explore the uses and functions of conspiracy theories in authoritarian regimes, showing how conspiracy theories are used as propaganda, allowing regimes to identify and denounce perceived enemies and silence political opponents. Political functions of conspiracy theoriesIn authoritarian contexts, conspiratorial rhetoric used by the regimes is expedient for mobilising masses, reinforcing incumbent structures of power and authority, and assuring the loyalty of the people. This is particularly true during periods of social turmoil. This mobilisation is not necessarily physical, i.e. taken to the streets or digital space. It is instead a 'nudge' that stimulates hitherto indifferent, apolitical and apathetical individuals or groups towards a kind of political consciousness, one that is based on a Manichean dualism in which 'us'/'the self ', i.e. the ordinary and innocent majority of 'good' people, are perceived to be threatened by an evil 'them'/'other' driven by a desire for absolute economic and political power (Groh 1987). In this dualistic vision, the conspirators are not only the enemies of the people or the regime; they are also genuine outsiders.Conspiracy theories are used to reaffirm the dominant and established values of an ingroup while identifying and subsequently portraying outsiders in a negative light (Giry 2017). Conspiracy theories thrive only if they comply with the deep-rooted values of the dominant group and its social, historical or geographical background. The reception of the same conspiracy theory varies from one group to another because of differences in collective imaginary, collective memory, biases, stereotypes, etc. In other words, the plausibility of conspiracy theories, and their reception, is bound to communities' collective judgments (Fine 2007). What's more, people are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories when they seem to relate to them, when the conspiracy theories exonerate them or their group (Waters 1997;Frampton et al. 2016) and when they implicate their political opponents (Miller et al. 2016).Operating like a political myth (Girardet 1986;Giry 2015), conspiracism is paradoxically reassuring -symbolically at least -because it purports to identify and unmask a hidden threat. Conspiracy theories express, then, a reductionism that serves and contributes to uphold, promote and reinforce conventional behaviours, while discrediting or delegitimising inappropriate or marginal ones. Conspiracy theories offer comfort, providing a refuge from complexity...

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